Adventures in Unova
by V. Pylon
Summary: Travis goes on a Pokémon journey in the Unova region. Based on Pokémon Black/White. Rated M for language and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1: The Dream

**Chapter One- The Dream**

Travis' POV

My name is Travis. I live in Nacrene City in the Unova Region. I really like living in this city. It's not too big, like Castellia City, and it's not too small, like Nuvema Town. I think that having a Gym Leader like Lenora really helps in this factor. She runs the museum, along with her husband. She is a relatively early-on Gym, so we don't get too much traffic here. And the train tracks that are no longer in use give this city some great character.

At the moment, I'm lying on my bed in my bedroom, reading a book about Pokémon. I've wanted to be a Pokémon trainer ever since I was little. However, my mom said it was too dangerous. And I know now that she was right. Pokémon are dangerous creatures with mysterious powers. However, they can also be friends or partners.

I'm ripped from my daydream by my mom calling me. "Travis! Professor Juniper called! She wants you to go to Nuvema town and start a Pokémon journey!"

Is this real? Am I actually going to go on a Pokémon journey, after all this dreaming? A childlike excitement fills me, and I begin packing. I pack my back satchel with some extra clothes, my toothbrush and toothpaste, my book, some money I've saved for just this occasion, and my phone. I put on my grey hooded jacket and pull the hood over my dark brown hair. I look at myself in the mirror, and decide I'm ready.

I walk down the hall to the kitchen. My mom and my dad are waiting there for me, along with the family Pokemon, a Pidove my dad named Doveling. However, my mom calls her Dovely because it sounds like the word "lovely," and I couldn't say those words as a child so I called her Dovey. I still do. She has been my dad's partner since he was a teenager.

"Dad," I say in surprise. "What are you doing home from work?" My dad works at the museum as a researcher. He studies the Pokemon fossils they have at the museum.

"Your mother called me when she got the call from Professor Juniper. I told Hawes, and he let me off work to see you off," my dad says. Well that was nice of Hawes. Hawes is the assistant director of the museum, as well as Lenora's husband.

My mom takes the hood off my head. She looks me in the eyes, and says "You make sure to stay out of trouble, you hear? And remember, you can come home whenever you want to."

I nod. "I know," I say. She embraces me. My dad and Dovey join us, making a giant family group hug.

When the hug ends, my dad pulls a Potion out of his pocket. "Here, Travis. This could come in handy." My mom hands me an Antidote. Then, my mom takes the portable camping gear backpack off the counter and gives it to me.

"Here. You will be out in the wilderness, and goodness, hotels can be expensive. Make sure to spend the night in a Pokémon Center whenever you can, okay?" she asks.

"I will," I reply.

The portable camping gear includes an extremely compact tent, stakes to hold the tent down, a rain poncho, a water bottle, a water filter, and a compact sleeping bag, all in one small and lightweight backpack. "You'll also find extra clothes and money in there," my mom says. We have a family hug again, and I leave the house, waving goodbye behind me.

 **(A/N: Cheesy, huh? That's what happens in the first chapter where nothing exciting happens. just wait, there is more, better chapters to come!)**


	2. Chapter 2: The Beginning

**Chapter Two- The Beginning**

Travis' POV

I stop looking back. This will be harder than it needs to be if I keep looking back. Down the street, I see Leonard and Yolanda Fitch, the old couple that is friends with my family. Their Panpour, Spout, is helping Yolanda water their potted plants while Leonard sits on a rocking chair, all of them enjoying the warm afternoon. "Why hello there, Travis," Leonard calls.

"Hey, Leonard, hey Yolanda," I call back.

"Where are you off to? Why, you're packed for camping!" Yolanda says.

"I'm going on a Pokémon journey," I reply.

"Well, isn't that exciting! I think we have just the thing for you. Spout, could you be a dear and go fetch it for Travis?" Yolanda says.

"Pour!" Spout says as he scampers inside their house. He returns seconds later, carrying a Paralyz Heal. He runs up to me and holds it up to me proudly.

"I had that sitting on the mantle. I had no use for it, but Spout found it one day and didn't want to get rid of it. Sorry if it's a bit dusty," Leonard says.

I take the Paralyz Heal from Spout, and put it in my satchel along with the Potion and Antidote from my parents. "Thank you all," I say. Spout giggles, and races back to Yolanda.

"You'd best be on your way, now. You wouldn't want to keep the Professor wating," Leonard says.

"Thank you again. Goodbye!" I call as I walk down the street.

I make it to the Gate. This is it. This is the beginning of my journey. The journey doesn't start once you get a Pokémon from the Professor; it starts as soon as you leave the comfort of your own home and set your sights on a destination. I walk through the Gate and onto Route 3.

I've been on Route 3 before. I used to go to the daycare on this route when I was little. Then when I outgrew the daycare, it was walks with my parents or by myself. I do enjoy my alone time. I replace the hood of my jacket on my head. It's a large hood, and I like it because it makes me feel dark and mysterious.

I reach the daycare, and pass it. No need to look or visit. I'm on a mission: to get to Nuvema town. I eventually reach Striaton City, home of the triplet Gym Leaders, Cilan, Chili, and Cress. Striaton City is about the same size as Nacrene City, but with larger buildings. Large buildings make me nervous.

I'm about to exit Striaton City when someone calls, "You there, with the hood! May I speak with you for a minute?" I turn to see a woman walking quickly in my direction. She has long black hair, and is wearing a white lab coat and glasses. Random guess: she's a scientist. "Sorry to bother you, but are you by any chance one of the three teenagers chosen by Professor Juniper to recieve a Pokémon?" she asks.

"I am. What of it?" I ask a bit rudely. I'm not used to talking to strangers. People in general make me nervous, especially people I don't know.

"You just looked like you had a destination in mind. I've never seen you around before. Then again, I don't get out much, but I've still never seen you before," she says.

"Okay..." I say awkwardly.

"Oh! I got off track. I just wanted to give you this, " she says, reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out an Awakening. "This may come in handy. New trainers don't usually carry items, but they are quite useful out in the field. And the group of new trainers chosen by Juniper this time are very interesting indeed. Two from Nuvema Town, and the other all the way from Nacrene City!" she says excitedly.

"But anyway, run along and get to Nuvema Town. We'll meet again soon, I'm sure," she says, walking away. She stops. "Oh, by the way, my name is Fennel. See you later!" She walks away until I can't see her among the people and buildings. She was an interesting character. I leave Striaton City, and walk onto Route 2.

 **(A/N: Don't worry. The juicy stuff starts after chapters 3 and 4. What do I mean by "juicy" you ask? You'll just have to find out...)**


	3. Chapter 3: What Do You Want?

**Chapter 3- What do you want?**

Travis' POV

Route 2 is smaller than Route 3. Much smaller, in fact. As I walk down the path to Accumula Town, I see a small dark figure emerge from the trees. It's a Purrloin! The Purrloin staggers out of the trees, and then it sees me. It immediately sits down and acts all cute and sad. The only problem is, I know this trick. Purrloin are notorious for it. They act deceptively cute and then steal your belongings. This Purrloin is cute as hell, but I've read my book on Pokémon too many times to be deceived.

I walk past the Purrloin, not looking at it. A few minutes later, I see the same Purrloin sitting on the path. This time, without the dappling of the leaves, I can see a large scar running vertically diagonal over the Purrloin's chest and stomach. It looks like it was really bad, but it seems to have healed well. I ignore the Purrloin again, and just keep walking. Less than five minutes later, the same damn Purrloin sits on the path. Cute act over, it leaps at me, but instead of attacking me, it just settles itself on my shoulders and backpack. I'm guessing there is no point in trying to move it.

I reach Accumula Town soon after this. Accumula Town is a small town. It consists of just a Pokémon Center and a few neighborhoods of houses and small businesses. It is early evening. I think I can make it to Nuvema Town by nightfall if I hurry. However, this plan is cut short when a woman sweeping her porch calls out to me. "Oh, boy, what a sweet little thing you have on your shoulders! May I meet then little darling?"

Well, this Purrloin is still wild, so she can do whatever she wants to it. I walk over to her, and she cooes at the Purloin. "Well aren't you just the cutest little Purrloin ever!" She wisely doesn't reach out to pet the Purrloin. "How lucky you are to be companions with this little lady," the woman says.

"Oh, she isn't mine. She just hitched a ride on Route 2. How can you tell that this Purrloin is a girl?" I ask.

"Oh, there are many ways to tell. But this one is a woman's secret," she says, putting her finger to her lips. "Do you want to capture the Purrloin?" she asks suddenly.

"I guess I wouldn't be opposed to it," I reply, looking at the Purrloin out of the corner of my eye. The woman reaches into her apron pocket and pulls out a Pokéball.

"Here you go, young man. See if she'll go with you." She hands the Pokéball to me, and I look at it. I then look at the Purrloin.

"How about it?" I ask her. The Purrloin hisses quietly and hides behind my head. "Oh well. Maybe she's just not ready yet. She seems quite taken with you. She hasn't left your shoulders yet," the woman says.

"I suppose so," I say, and I hold out the Pokéball to the woman.

"Oh no, keep it. I have no use for it," she says. I put the Pokéball in my satchel. "My name is Barbera Hatcher. Do stop by whenever you're in town. You and your new friend make an interesting pair," she says, her eyes twinkling. She says goodbye and goes back to sweeping her porch.

"What do you want?" I ask the Purrloin after we get out of earshot of any people. "You just jump on my shoulder and don't even want to be captured by me. What is it you're after?" She of course, stays silent, because Pokémon can't talk.

Route 1 is also small, but it's getting dark. We reach a small clearing next to a small river and I decide to stop. I should have just stayed in Accumula Town. Now I'll have to camp out here for the night. I take off the camping backpack and set up the tent. Purrloin stays on my shoulder as I filter water into my water bottle from the river.

I'm about to enter the tent to set up my sleeping bag when I think of something. I don't know where this Purrloin has been. If she intends to sleep inside the tent with me, she's going to have to be clean (or at least cleaner than she was). I walk back to the river and pull Purrloin off my shoulders. She is confused at first but then she starts to struggle as I lower her towards the water.

"If you don't struggle, it will be over sooner," I warn, but she ignores me. I submerge her in the cool water of the river, and she screeches. "I'm sorry, but if you want to sleep in my tent you'll have to be cleaner than you were," I yell over her splashing and screeching. Finally, I am satisfied with how clean she is. Or at least how clean she looks. Besides that, she looks miserable. Her fur is soaked and her ears and whiskers are droopy.

I dry her with my shirt, and she shivers, huddling against my body for warmth. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" I ask. She just glares at me. I crawl into the tent, holding her close to me. "Well, I'm sorry, but I didn't feel comfortable with you sleeping in my tent as you were. Now that you're cleaner, I feel comfortable with you sleeping in here." I set up my sleeping bag, and take off my shoes and shirt. "Goodnight, Purrloin. Decide whether you want to join me by tomorrow. I'm not just going to carry you across Unova as a freeloader."

 **(A/N: What do you think will happen? What is Travis going to do about this Purrloin?)**


	4. Chapter 4: Punishment

**Chapter 4- Punishment**

Purloin's POV (sort of)

Purrloin shivered as she curled up on top of the human's sleeping fur. How dare he bathe her! She could bathe herself, thank you very much! Her body tingled as she remembered that she was in heat. Then, she got an idea of how she could punish the human's insolence. She would tie him down so he couldn't escape, and then she would have her way with him!

Purrloin was vaguely familiar with the concept of knots. She had seen knots tied before. She applied this knowledge to tying the human's wrists and ankles to the corners of the tent with the strange lengths of fabric attached near the bottom of the tent. Then, she removed the human's sleeping fur from his body, revealing the human in his wearing fur. Humans are such silly looking creatures. They don't have fur or scales, so they wear fake fur to cover themselves.

She then spent a few minutes trying to figure out how to keep the human's lower wearing fur down. When she pulled hard enough, they stayed down. There is another layer?! She hissed to herself as she pulled this layer down hard as well, finally revealing the soft pale skin beneath.

Then she saw his cock. It was soft, and she knew from past observation of mating Pokémon that only hard cocks would do. Her pussy tingled with anticipation. But how would she get his cock hard? Most mating is consensual. The male's cock is already hard before the mating process begins.

Then she got an idea. She had seen humans do this before, when she spied on them in their home. She had decided to spend the night in their window box, and had witnessed the human process of mating.

She grabbed his cock in her paws and rubbed it a bit. It stiffened slightly. Then she opened her mouth and put it over the tip, moving her tongue around the tip. Then she moved her mouth up and down on his dick, feeling it harden in her mouth. She had succeded.

When she removed her mouth from his cock she got a big surprise. His cock was much larger than expected. She had never seen a cock this big. She had only seen smaller Pokémon mate, and even the human male she had witnessed mating didn't have a cock this big. Although, she was watching from the window, and they were across the room...

How would this fit inside her? She gulped. She would have to make do with what she had. She held the human's cock straight up as she lowered herself onto it. As soon as the tip touched her entrance, she gasped. She had never dreamed that it would feel this good! And he wasn't even inside her yet!

She lowered herself even more, and his length entered her. She squealed. It felt amazing! She moved up and down, feeling pleasure, but also frustration as she wasn't strong enough to push his entire length inside her virgin pussy.

 **(A/N: Not gonna lie, this was awkward to write. Let me know what your opinion is on how I write my sex scenes.)**


	5. Chapter 5: A Beautiful Relationship

**Chapter 5- A beautiful relationship**

Travis' POV

I feel myself wake up, but I don't open my eyes. Something or someone is pleasuring my dick, and it feels incredible. This is most likely a dream. I open my eyes. The Purrloin is on my dick, moving up and down weakly, and mewling in pleasure and frustration.

My first instinct is to assist her. However, I find that my hands are tied. I wiggle my hands a bit, and the knots come undone. Obviously her paws are not made for tying knots. I grab her hips and she squeals in surprise. "Need help?" I ask, and I push my dick farther inside her. She screams, and I move her up and down; I'm balls deep inside her right now. Her screams of pleasure only make me move faster.

After a few minutes of this, I feel my climax coming. "I'm going to cum, Purrloin; where do you want it?" I gasp. She makes no movement to get off my dick and she just continues to make noise, although she is quieter then she was. I take this as an invitation to do whatever, and with a quick thrust, I release my load inside of her. She screams at the sudden warmth entering her.

I let go of her hips, and I lay back, breathing heavily. I just lost my virginity to a Pokémon. I never even considered that an option. Purloin pulls herself off of my now flacid dick and cum drips out of her onto my stomach. She walks weakly out of the tent. She returns several minutes later, slightly damp from the river.

She then licks the cum off of my stomach as well as off my dick. I pull my boxer briefs and pants up, and Purrloin snuggles close to me as I pull the sleeping bag cover over us.

 **(A/N: Again, let me know what you think about my sex scenes.)**


	6. Chapter 6: Nuvema Town: Friends, Rivals

**Chapter 6- Nuvema Town: New friends and rivals**

Travis' POV

I wake up, feeling Purrloin's weight on my chest. She is still asleep; she looks so peaceful. I lay still, so as to not disturb her. I wonder what adventures we will encounter today? I feel Purrloin stir, and she yawns and opens her eyes. When she sees me, she smiles, and snuggles closer. "Well good morning, you," I say warmly.

"How does the name 'Pardin' sound to you?" I ask as I crawl out of the tent. She smiles and purrs. "Pardin it is then," I say, grinning from ear to ear. Pardin jumps onto my shoulders as I pack up the tent. I put on a shirt, and Pardin just squirms through the neck hole as I put my head through it.

As for my jacket, I just put it on, and Pardin remains on my shoulders, but also inside the hood when I put the hood up. So now I share the space inside my hood with my new... friend. I'm not exactly sure what our relationship is at the moment, so let's just say friends for now.

Let's try this again. I take the Pokéball Barbera gave me, and I hold it up to Pardin. She presses the button with her paw, and she turns into white light, and goes into the Pokéball. The ball wiggles in my hand three times, and then stops. The button glows. Pardin was caught. Then, the ball opens, and Pardin returns to my shoulder. "I'm guessing you don't like it in there," I say. Pardin nods. "Well, unless its an emergency, I won't force you into the ball."

Once I finish packing up camp, Pardin and I set off for Nuvema Town. Now that I think about it, we probably could have made it to Nuvema Town if we had just kept walking, but One: I'm not familiar with the terrain here, and it was dark. Just because my book has a map of the Unova Region doesn't mean I know what each route is like. Two: where would we have stayed? There are no hotels or Pokémon Centers in Nuvema Town.

It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that I'm going to meet Professor Juniper and two others. I'll also meet and recieve a starter Pokémon. At this moment, I see a building through the trees. I begin running. I follow the path until I see more buildings. This is it: Nuvema Town.

I slow to a walk as I enter the town. We can't have me acting all crazy, can we? I walk around, looking for Professor Juniper's lab. I look around, and see a large grey building with a large sign out front with the words, 'Juniper Pokémon Lab.' Oh. Well then. That was easy. I walk to the building, and I take a deep breath in from to the door. I walk forward, and the automatic doors open.

I enter the building, and am greeted by three people: a short boy with black hair and glasses, a girl with blonde hair and a pretty face, and Professor Juniper herself. "Well hello there. You must be Travis," Professor Juniper says. I nod.

"Yes. I am he," I say. Wow. Just wow. Professor Juniper ignores my painfully obvious awkwardness, but the girl visibly cringes and the boy gives me an understanding look.

"My name is Sera," the girl says.

"And I'm Charles, but everyone calls me Chuck," says the boy.

"Well then," Professor Juniper says, "are you ready to receive your first Pokémon?" Pardin chooses this moment to stick her head out of my hood and mew at Professor Juniper.

"Oh, it looks like someone already has a Pokémon friend," Professor Juniper says. "Where did you meet her?"

"How did you know Pardin was a girl?" I ask. Professor Juniper puts her hands in her lab coat pockets. "Boy, when you've been around Pokémon as long as I have, you learn things," she says. She can't be older than her early twenties!

"I met her on Route 2 on the way down here," I say. She just nods, a hand on her chin.

"Well then, let's meet the starter Pokémon, shall we?" Professor Juniper asks. Without waiting for an answer, she reaches into her pockets and pulls out three Pokéballs. "Come on out," she calls as she throws each Pokéball into the air. The three Pokéballs open and three Pokémon appear in bright flashes of light.

One is snakelike, and is colored green and white. It crosses its small arms over its chest and huffs at us. "Ooh, a Snivy," Chuck says, pushing his glasses further up his nose. Snivy, huh? I pull out my book and flip to the Pokémon section. Here it is: Snivy. Interesting. The other starter Pokémon are an orange one named Tepig, and a blue and white one named Oshawott. Tepig grins broadly at us, and Oshawott bows, looking just like a little gentleman.

"Now, which will you choose? You three may decide amongst yourselves who will go first," Professor Juniper says. Chuck gestures to Sera.

"Ladies first," he says. Really? Chivalry? Sera looks at me to get my opinion.

"I'm not a fan of chivalry, but I don't really care who goes first," I say.

"Then I'm choosing Tepig. I heard it evolves into a really big and strong Pokémon!" Sera says excitedly. Chuck leans over to me.

"Sera has always liked big things. She always wanted to live in a bigger city, but her family couldn't afford it, especially after her parents got divorced and her dad lost custody of her," he whispers. Okay then.

"You can go next," I say to Chuck.

"Then I'm choosing Oshawott. He's such a little gentleman!" he exclaims. Tepig runs into Sera's arms, and Oshawott walks slowly over to Chuck, bows, and jumps into his arms.

"That just leaves you with Snivy, Travis," Professor Juniper says. Snivy and I stare at each other. Snivy huffs, and walks over to me.

"Here are their Pokéballs," Professor Juniper says, tossing us our respective Pokémon's Pokéball. "By the way, Travis. Snivy doesn't like being in her Pokéball," Professor Juniper says. Good to know. So this Snivy's a girl. Snivy huffs, and holds out her arms to me. Does she want me to pick her up? I reach down, and gently grab her under her arms and lift her up. She settles into my arms against my chest.

Suddenly, Pardin sticks her head out of my hood and hisses at Snivy. "Oh, is someone jealous?" I ask. Pardin sticks her tongue out at me, and retreats back into my hood. "I think I'll name you Selva. Does that sound good?" I ask Snivy. She crosses her arms and nods. "Alright then. Welcome to the team, Selva," I say. Selva smiles slightly.

"Well, now that you have Pokémon, why not battle with them?" Professor Juniper suggests.

"That sounds fun!" Chuck says. Sera nods. I shrug, indifferent.

"Please do it outside, though," Professor Juniper says. We all exit through the automatic doors and onto the street in front of the lab.

"Since Travis has two Pokémon, and you two each have one, why not have a double battle: you two versus Travis?" Professor Juniper says.

"Sure!" Chuck exclaims.

"Whatever," Sera says, sounding bored. I shrug. Sera and Chuck stand next to each other, and I stand about twenty feet away from them.

Tepig and Oshawott jump out of their trainers' arms and onto the street, where they face me, trying to look intimidating. Selva looks up at me and points towards the ground. "Bossy, aren't you?" I laugh. Selva huffs. "Pardin, are you up for a battle?" I ask? Pardin leaps out of my hood and onto the ground, where she stalks around Selva.

"I'll serve as referee for this match," Professor Juniper says.

"Whatever. Let's just get started!" exclaims Sera.

"Alright then," Professor Juniper says. Professor Juniper raises her hand into the air. "Battle begin!" she says loudly, and drops her hand in a karate chop motion.

"Tepig, use Tackle!" Sera commands immediately. Tepig shoots flames out of its nostrils and paws the ground. Then it charges towards us. "Target Snivy!" Sera yells.

"Her name is Selva!" I protest. Uh-oh. "Selva, quick, dodge it!" I say. Selva narrowly misses being hit by the charging Tepig.

"Let's not be too hasty," Chuck scolds Sera. "We need to work together if we want to win."

"Fuck that!" Sera yells. "Tepig, Ember! Target Snivy until it's done!" The Tepig shoots embers out of its nose, and launches them at Selva. Selva dances gracefully out of the attack's way.

Now it's our turn. "Pardin, Pursuit on Tepig. Selva, Vine Whip on Oshawott," I say calmly. Pardin disappears for a second, reappearing behind Tepig. She then hits Tepig with her attack, sending Tepig sprawling. Selva launches Vine Whip at Oshawott, who dodges clumsily.

"Don't wait for me to give an order! If you see an opening, or need to evade, then take advantage of it unless I tell you otherwise," I command. Pardin grins, and proceeds to savagely beat Tepig with Pursuit until it faints.

"Tepig is unable to battle," Professor Juniper calls. Pardin then sets her sights on Oshawott, who looks terrified.

"Pardin, leave Oshawott to Selva," I command. Pardin glares at me, then relents and returns to my side to watch the battle. Selva glares at Oshawott. Oshawott looks intimidated by her look. Is this her Leer? "Selva, go! Get close with Tackle!" I yell. Selva responds immediately, charging Oshawott.

"Oshawott, keep her away with Water Gun!" Chuck yells.

Oshawott shoots a jet of water at Selva. "Use Vine Whip to change direction, then keep going!" I command. Selva obeys, using Vine Whip to evade Water Gun and continue using Tackle towards Oshawott.

"Keep trying to hit her!" Chuck commands. Oshawott complies, changing direction with Selva, always launching water at wherever she moves to.

Ugh, this could be an issue. Unlike Tepig's Ember, Oshawott's Water Gun is faster and more flexible. I need to try something different.

"Selva, take the attack!" I yell. Selva stops, and looks back at me, confused. Then she is hit directly with Water Gun. At first, Selva seems to take a lot of damage, but then she realizes that water attacks have little effect on her.

Selva smiles, and launches herself at Oshawott again. She surprises Oshawott, who stopped attacking when she took the attack, and uses Vine Whip at close range, which does a lot of damage. "Keep it up!" I yell. Selva continues to use Vine Whip, but she only needs to hit Oshawott three more times before Oshawott is down for the count.

"Oshawott is unable to battle. The winners are Selva and Pardin," Professor Juniper says. Selva leaps into the air.

"Sniiii!" she cries happily.

"Come here you two!" I laugh, and I get on one knee and hold my arms out. Pardin waits patiently while Selva runs towards us, then the two of them jump into my arms.

Pardin looks at Selva in disdain while she rubs her face into my chest. I have a feeling that Pardin will be difficult to warm up to Selva. She probably wants me all to herself. I don't blame her. I'm that sexy. I smile to myself at this sarcastic thought.

"You won your first battle, Travis; how do you feel?" Professor Juniper asks as I stand up with my two girls in my arms.

"Exhilarated!" I reply. Pardin scowls and retreats back into my hood.

"That's good to hear," she smiles.

"Although... I would have had a much tougher time if they had fought as a team..." Sera glares at the ground, as if it's the reason she lost. Chuck just glances awkwardly at her.

"That is true..." Professor Juniper says. Sera stomps over to Tepig and scoops it up. She almost storms off, but Professor Juniper puts a hand on her arm.

"Sera, I need to heal Tepig before I will allow you to leave," she says sternly but gently. Sera obeys reluctantly. Chuck picks up Oshawott, and we follow Professor Juniper, who is gently but firmly guiding Sera by the shoulder, inside her lab.

Tepig and Oshawott are returned to their Pokéballs, while Selva stays as she is. Since Pardin didn't take any hits, she doesn't need healing. Selva and the two returned Pokémon are placed on a machine and are healed. Sera grabs Tepig's Pokéball and tries to leave again, but Professor Juniper grabs her again. "I want to talk to you," she says.

She then looks at me and Chuck. "Alone," she says, hinting at us. We take the hint and leave immediately, taking our newly healed Pokémon with us.

"So..." Chuck says awkwardly once we get outside. I remain silent, holding Selva in my arms. She looks up at me, obviously not impressed with my lack of social skills.

"Do you want to have lunch at my place?" Chuck asks suddenly. A bit taken aback by his invitation, I don't say anything for a few seconds. Then Silva pinches my arm, snapping me back to reality.

"Umm... sure, if your parents will have me," I reply.

"Oh, don't worry," Chuck laughs. "They'll just be glad I made a real life friend besides Sera. Sera and I don't even hang out much anymore. I prefer to stay indoors and tinker with computers, while she's out being social."

"So let's go. Follow me," Chuck says. He leads me down a couple small streets to a decently sized house for a small town with a cheery yellow paint job. "Don't cross the threshold until I give the word, okay? My dad has a serious guard dog. Or should I say guard snail?" Chuck says. I obey and wait at the door while Chuck goes inside. I hear a woman's voice cry "Oh, he's such a little gentleman!" Chuck must have brought out Oshawott."Dad? I brought a guest. Call of Accelgor, okay?" I hear him yell.

I hear a muffled reply, and Chuck reappears. "Okay, we're good to go. C'mon in," he says. I enter his home, tightening my grip on Selva slightly. She pats my arm comfortingly. "Take off your shoes please," Chuck says. His are already off. I take my shoes off, and suddenly I'm faced with a green and pink face with serious eyes.

I yelp in surprise, and Pardin lashes out with Assist, launching Selva's Vine Whip out of my hood, catching the new Pokémon by surprise, and hitting it full in the face. It doesn't seem to do much damage, however, because it just seems to shake it off. Vine Whip disappears, and the Pokémon glares into my hood.

A man appears around a corner, laughing. "You're losing your touch, Accelgor. You shouldn't have been taken by surprise by that attack," he says. The Pokémon, Accelgor, I'm guessing, blushes and crosses its arms across its chest. I take out my book and flip to Accelgor's page. It's an interesting Pokémon. Despite being a snail, it's a ninja, and is one of the fastest Pokémon in the Unova region. I put my book away.

"And don't make excuses like 'I didn't know there was a Pokémon in his hood,' because you should have been able to sense that. Gosh, you are getting old," the man continues. The Accelgor appears behind the man's head and hits him lightly. "I know, I'm getting old, too. All of us are."

This is when he looks at me for the first time. "Well, hello there. You must be Chuck's new friend. What's your name?" he asks, holding out his hand.

"My name is Travis," I say, shaking his hand. He has a firm grip. Pardin sticks her head out of my hood and mews.

"And who are these little ladies?" he asks laughing.

I introduce my little ladies, and two more Pokémon appear around the corner. There is a large reddish-brown crocodilian with black stripes and large dark eyes, and a green humanoid plant-looking Pokémon with a large red flower on its head. "Meet my other Pokémon friends, Krookodile and Lilligant. Krookodile nods, crossing its arms, and Lilligant bows. "And you've already met Accelgor," he gestures to Accelgor, who has a grey body with its pink head with green stripes.

"Lunch is ready!" a woman's voice calls.

"Let's go," Chuck's dad says. Chuck gestures for me to follow them. The three Pokémon let me pass them before following behind me. Why do I feel like they don't trust me? I wonder... Chuck and his dad lead me into a kitchen, where a woman is putting food on the table.

A Lilipup runs up to me yipping. I feel Pardin stiffen in my hood. I stick my hand inside my hood and lay my hand on her head comfortingly. "Welcome, stranger," the Chuck's mom says jokingly.

"Hello," I reply. She shakes my hand as well.

"We're so happy that Chuck has found a new friend," Chuck's mom says after we've all sat down. The Pokémon each get a bowl of Pokémon food.

"Mom!" Chuck protests.

"You should see him when he thinks nobody's looking: tinkering with his machines and researching ways to better the world. Isn't he just the greatest kid?" Chuck's mom laughs. Chuck's face is flushed with embarrassment.

"And you should have seen how he hid his interest in Pokémon from us," Chuck's dad laughs. "It was like he was hiding porn!" Chuck's mom roars with laughter.

"Mom! Dad! Stop it! You're acting like I brought home a new boyfriend and you're trying to deliberately embarrass me!" Chuck says. His parents fall silent. Then his mom gets a silly look on her face.

"So THAT'S your relationship with this new boy?" she asks.

"NO!" Chuck yells, his parents roaring with laughter. Chuck is acting really annoyed and frustrated, but somehow I can tell that he's used to this and he somewhat enjoys it.

"The last one you brought home was much too outgoing for you, so you dumped him to avoid being dragged outside," Chuck's dad chuckles.

"Wait, you're gay?" I ask Chuck. He shrugs. "I'm actually bisexual. I'm just more comfortable around guys is all," he replies.

"Ah." I say.

"Is that a problem?" Chuck's dad asks, his eyes narrowing.

"No, I've just never met a gay or bi person before, so I don't really know how to act around them..." I say awkwardly.

"Here's some advice: just treat us like normal people. The only real difference is our sexual preferences," Chuck says.

"Thanks," I say, relieved. "That actually really helps. Before this, I would have been extremely uncomfortable around anyone who was gay or bi, not knowing how to deal with them and all..." I say.

"You don't like people that much, do you?" Chuck's mom asks. When I don't respond, she smiles. "I understand. I'm sure you wouldn't know how to deal with a straight person either, you've just been fed misguided cultural information about those with different sexual preferences."

"Can we stop talking and eat?" Chuck asks.

"Amen, brother," I say, and his parents laugh. The food is spaghetti with meat sauce, fresh cut apple slices, and baby carrots.

I am just about finished when a phone begins to ring. Chuck's mom gets up to answer it. She is gone for about a minute, before reappearing. "Chuck, Travis, Professor Juniper wants you two back at the lab. She says its important." I finish my noodles and I stand up.

Selva and Pardin have finished their food, so Pardin jumps into my hood and I pick Selva up. Chuck returns Oshawott and we leave his house, but not before I thank his parents for their hospitality. We walk back to the lab, where Sera is waiting for us in fromt of the door, her arms crossed.

When we get closer to her, she walks into the lab. We follow her. Professor Juniper is waiting for us inside. "Thanks for coming over so quickly you two," Professor Juniper says. "What did you want us for?" Chuck says excitedly.

"Well, I don't necessarily need all three of you, but I felt like this was important," Professor Juniper says.

Sera scowls. "What is it?" Chuck asks. Professor Juniper pulls a small machine out of her pocket.

"This is a Pokédex. It can be used to record Pokémon data." Chuck is ready to burst from excitement. "However, I only have one Pokédex ready at the moment, so only one of you can have it," she says apologetically.

"I don't care about recording data," Sera says harshly.

"Chuck, you seem super excited about the concept of the Pokédex, and I don't really need one, because my book has all the info I need. You can have the Pokédex," I say. Chuck squeals, and Professor Juniper hands the Pokédex to him.

"Here, you can all have some empty Pokéballs to catch Pokémon with, " Professor Juniper says as she hands us each five Pokéballs.

"Okay, I need to record all your Pokémon's data," Chuck says.

"Ugh, fine," Sera says. She throws out Tepig. Pardin pokes her head out of my hood as Chuck brings out Oshawott. Chuck points the Pokédex at each of the Pokémon, recording their data.

"Okay, I'm done!" Chuck says.

"And I'm outta here," Sera returns Tepig and leaves the lab. Professor Juniper turns to us.

"Look out for her for me, okay?" she asks us.

"We will," Chuck replies, and I nod.

"Well, I guess the only thing to do now is to go out into the world and have adventures with your Pokémon!" Professor Juniper says.

 **(A/N: How was that? Much nicer I hope? It was much longer than previous chapters, that's for sure.)**


	7. Chapter 7: Mysterious Men

**Chapter 7- Mysterious Men**

Travis' POV

Chuck and I leave the lab, and head to the entrance of Route 1. When we get there, Sera comes up next to us. "We should take the first step onto Route 1 together!" Chuck exclaims. Sera groans.

"Just do it," I say, annoyed.

"Ugh, fine," she says. Chuck stands between me and Sera and grabs our hands. I flinch, but I let it happen.

"Three... two... one..." Together, we step onto Route 1.

"Okay, I'm done, see ya!" Sera says, and runs off.

"Well..." Chuck says. "I guess we just go on with the journey," I say. Chuck and I keep walking along Route 1, and Chuck runs around like a crazy person, registering Pokémon in his Pokédex. He runs back to me."I just caught a Patrat!" he yells, his face flushed with excitement. When?! This guy...

We arrive at Accumula Town, and Chuck runs into the Pokémon Center to heal his Pokémon. I go in with him, and wait patiently for his Pokémon to be healed. We also sign up for the Pokémon League, and receive our Trainer IDs. When we leave the Center, I see a crowd gathering in the plaza. "What's going on?" I ask. Chuck shrugs, and we walk over to the crowd to see what's happening.

When we get to the plaza, I see a line of people in funny-looking outfits standing on a rise of grass, with two flags on poles on either side of the line. The flags are black and white with a blue "P" with a lightning bolt across the line of the "P". Suddenly, the line parts to allow a man with a large robe-looking garment and a red monocle-thing walk in front of the line, where he stands, looking out over the crowd of Accumula Town citizens.

He clears his throat, and the crowd is silent. "My name is Ghetsis," he says in a deep voice, obviously accustomed to public speaking. "I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation." There are a few confused outbursts from the crowd.

"I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However... is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans... only assume that this is the truth? Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers.

"They get pushed around when they are our 'partners' at work. Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth to what I'm saying?" There is more confusion and hesitation among the crowd. Ghetsis continues. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon are different from humans. They are living beings with unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn.

"Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?" More crowd murmuring here. Someone says "Liberation?" Ghetsis points to the crowd. "that's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my word here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

With this, the people in funny outfits take their flags, flank Ghetsis like royal guards, and leave towards Route 2. The crowd disperses, still murmuring. "What the hell was that?" Chuck asks.

"I don't know, but the majority of it is bullshit," I reply. "Sure, some people aren't exactly nice to Pokémon, but the majority of people love their Pokémon, and their Pokémon feel the same way. We don't need to 'liberate' Pokémon."

We reach the gate to Route 2. As soon as we pass through it, a voice stops us. "Are you sure we don't need to liberate Pokémon?" the voice asks. We turn around to see a man, probably in his late teens or early twenties. He has long green hair, obviously dyed and wears a baseball cap.

"What do you want with us?" I ask suspiciously.

"I want to liberate Pokémon," the man says.

"Well, look somewhere else, because there are people who mistreat their Pokémon, so go liberate their Pokémon," I say.

"I would rather look here. You are interesting," The man says. He raises his hand, and a Purrloin leaps out of the bushes and faces us, ready for battle.

"A Purrloin? C'mon, Travis, let's go find more Pokémon," Chuck says, taking out his Pokédex and scrolling through it. Suddenly, the mysterious man is next to us, and he grabs Chuck's wrist, causing him to almost drop the Pokédex.

"Is that... a Pokédex?" his voice wavers.

The Purrloin jumps onto his shoulder. "For the sake of this horrible machine... you imprison our Pokémon friends in Pokéballs?" Chuck wrenches his hand away.

"Who the hell are you?" Chuck snaps. The man backs away from us.

"My name is N. Now battle me!" he exclaims. Selva snarls and begins a Vine Whip attack. "Purloin, Sucker Punch!" The Purrloin disappears and reappears in front of me. It's targeting Selva! I manage to slightly turn my body in time to catch the attack with my arm instead of Selva on my chest.

The attack sends me flying backwards. I land heavily on my back. Selva and Pardin are standing on either side of me, staring down in concern. I sit up shakily. "You bastard," I spit, holding my arm.

"How dare you!" Chuck yells. In a flash of light, Oshawott and Patrat appear, ready for battle.

"Oshawott, Water Gun! Patrat, Tackle!" Chuck commands. Oshawott shoots a jet of water at the Purrloin and Patrat runs at it from the other side. Purloin stands there, smirking confidently. As soon as both attacks are about to hit, it leaps backwards, causing Patrat to be hit by the Water Gun.

"Pursuit," N says. Purrloin disappears again and reappears, beating Patrat until it faints. "Again." Purrloin attacks Oshawott, knocking it out. I stand up, walk over to Chuck, and gently push him aside.

"Back off, Chuck. He's mine," I growl. Pardin and Selva stand next to me, glaring at the Purrloin, who is still smirking at us. Chuck returns his Pokémon and backs off.

"Now, let's go, girls," I say. Pardin disappears, then reappears, attacking the other Purrloin with Pursuit. This distracts the enemy, allowing Selva to attack with Vine Whip, restraining the Purrloin. However, the Purrloin smirks again and disappears, reappearing behind Selva, hitting it with Sucker Punch. Selva is instantly down. "No!" I yell. I run to pick up Selva, and Pardin retreats back to my side.

"You see what happens when Pokémon aren't liberated? They get badly hurt," N says.

"You are sadly mistaken. Pokémon can get hurt no matter where they are. And for your information, both of my Pokémon hate being in Pokéballs, asshole!" I turn to Chuck, and Pardin leaps into my hood. "Run!" I yell, and we run towards Striation City, Selva fainted in my arms.

"Come back!" N yells after us, and I hear footsteps running after us.

"We can lose him in the city," I gasp. We continue to run until we get to Striaton City. We duck into an alley, and rest. Chuck is nearly hyperventilating. We must have run for around five minutes straight, running off only adrenaline.

 **(A/N: N sure is mysterious, despite already finishing the games...)**


	8. Chapter 8: Gym Battle

**Chapter 8- Gym Battle**

Travis' POV

We catch our breath, and wait for about ten minutes to make sure N is gone. "Okay, let's get to the Pokémon Center," I say. Chuck nods. We carefully make our way to the Pokémon Center, and heal our Pokémon. Selva immediately jumps into my arms, hugging me as best she can with her small arms. I hug her back. "I'm so sorry that happened," I say.

I turn to Chuck. "We need to train, so that we are prepared next time N appears. He will be back, and when we least expect it," I say. Chuck nods. We leave the Pokémon Center, and Chuck points down the street.

"Hey look, there's Sera!" Chuck says. Sera is several hundred feet away from us and walking quickly.

"Let's follow her," Chuck whispers. We follow Sera quickly but quietly. We follow her down a few streets, until she walks into the Striaton City Gym.

"Do we follow her inside?" I ask.

"Yes," Chuck answers. We enter the Gym to see a restaurant. I did not expect that at all. "Over there," Chuck points to the back of the restaurant. At the very back, there is a large battleground, and Sera is facing the Striaton Gym Leaders, Cilan, Chili, and Cress.

We make our way to the back, where we see Sera hold up a Pokéball, a classic challenge stance. "Oh, there are more challengers," Cress says calmly. Cilan gestures over to Sera.

"Why don't you fight together?" he suggests. Sera looks at us in surprise.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you were back in Accumula!" she exclaims.

"We had a run-in and had to make a hasty escape," Chuck replies. "Now let's just get this battle going. Travis and I need to get stronger." Sera groans.

"You'd better not hold me back," she says.

"The battle will be three on three," Cilan says, his voice suddenly amplified. Is he wearing a mic?

The patrons at the restaurant and the waiters and waitresses all turn to look at us. Oh, no. Chuck notices that I start to sweat and I freeze on the spot.

"Sera, we need to make sure Travis can't see any of the people," Chuck says.

"Oh no, he has social anxiety doesn't he?" Sera groans.

Chuck and Sera move so that they stand in between me and the crowd. I calm down slightly. "Okay you little shits, if you fuck this up I will never forgive you," Sera growls. Sera then throws a Pokéball, and a Lilipup appears next to her.

"Actually, I was thinking that we could use our three starter Pokémon," Chuck says.

"You are so..." Sera starts. "I was going to use Tepig anyway. Lilipup here just needs to watch so he can learn how to battle," she says. Lilipup barks. Snivy jumps to the ground, and Sera and Chuck bring out Tepig and Oshawott. The triplets bring out their Pokéballs. and throw them in unison.

Cilan sends out a green monkey-looking Pokémon, Chili sends out a red similar-looking Pokémon, and Cress sends out a blue similar-looking Pokémon. All three monkey-like Pokémon are similar in body shape, but their faces, tops of their heads, and tips of their tails are different. I bring out my book. Here they are. Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour, in that order.

A man walks to the middle of the battleground. "I will serve as referee. This is a triple battle between Cilan, Chili, and Cress, versus Travis, Sera, and Chuck." He walks to the sideline. "Battle, begin!" he yells. Immediately, Sera yells her first command.

"Tepig, Ember on the green one!"

"It's a Pansage!" yells Chuck as Tepig shoots embers at Pansage. The Pansage easily dodges the attack. "Oshawott, Water Gun on Pansear!" Chuck says. The fast jet of water surprises Pansear, and it is a direct hit. It doesn't do enough to finish it, however.

"Now it's our turn!" Chili yells. "Pansear! Incinerate!" Pansear shoots a fireball at Selva. Selva gracefully dances out of the way.

"Leer," I say calmly. Selva glares at Pansear, making it shudder.

"Oshawott, Water Gun!" Chuck commands. Oshawott lands another direct hit, but it doesn't knock it out.

"Tepig, Tackle!" Sera commands. Tepig dashes at Pansear, and slams its body into it, dealing the final blow.

"Water Gun," Cress says, smiling. Panpour shoots a jet of water at Tepig, sending it flying back at us. Tepig lands heavily, but gets up almost instantly.

"Travis, if you can get Pansage in Vine Whip, I can take it down," Sera says quietly to me. "Then just take out Panpour." Chuck nods at this.

"I'll distract with Water Gun," he says. "Water Gun!" Oshawott shoots its attack at Pansage. Pansage doesn't bother dodging.

"Vine Whip," I say. Selva ties up Pansage, and Sera yells "Flame Charge!" Tepig's body is surrounded by flames, and it runs even faster at Pansage.

"Water Sport," Cress says, and Panpour shoots water in the air in Pansage's direction. The water lands on and around Pansage, and when Tepig crashes into it, it obviously doesn't do as much damage as it should. "Water Gun," Cress commands. Tepig is hit with another direct hit.

"Bite," commands Cilan. Pansage Bites Selva's Vine Whip, and Selva squeals, retracting Vine Whip instantly.

"Vine Whip," Cilan commands.

"Water Gun," Cress commands. The two attacks race to connect first. Selva jumps in fromt of Tepig so she takes the Water Gun attack, and then she counters Vine Whip with her own Vine Whip.

"Leer," I say. She Leers Panpour, and Chuck commands, "Tackle." Oshawott rushes and connects with the distracted Pokémon.

Suddenly, Pansage's Vine Whip breaks free from Selva's Vine Whip. It slams into Oshawott, whipping it repeatedly. Oshawott falls over, fainted. Chuck sighs, and returns his downed Pokémon. Selva panics suddenly, and screams "Sniiiii!" Leaves appear around her tail and she appears to grow a giant funnel-shaped tail made from swirling leaves. Selva swings this attack around, and it slams into Panpour and Pansage, sending them both slamming into the wall, fainted.

Selva stares, eyes wide, as the attack disappears. The then squeals and leaps into my arms. "The winners are Travis, Sera, and Chuck!" the referee yells. The restaurant erupts into applause. The three Gym Leaders walk over to us. Cilan stands in front of me, Chili stands in front of Sera, and Cress in front of Chuck.

"Congratulations," they say, all at once, and they bow in unison. They then hold their hands out simultaniously, each holding a three-diamond shaped badge. The three of us each take our badges.

"You have all earned the Trio Badge," Cilan says. Suddenly, Tepig begins to glow. Its form begins to grow, until it is standing on two legs, and is much bigger. The glow fades, and an entirely new Pokémon is standing there.

"Pignite!" it cries. Sera grins.

"I knew you were ready to evolve," she says. "Now let's go." She begins to leave, but stops and turns to me. "You aren't bad. I wouldn't mind teaming up again," she says. Then she turns to Chuck. "You're just incompetent," she says tersely. She then leaves the Gym, Pignite following her.


	9. Chapter 9: Compromise

**Chapter 9- Compromise**

Travis' POV

"Interesting battle," Cress says. "Did your Snivy learn Leaf Tornado mid-battle?" Cilan asks.

"I think so..." I say. Selva looks up at me, smiling.

"It seems she really trusts you," Cilan says. Pardin sticks her head out of my hood and yawns.

"Were you sleeping the whole time?" I ask her. She looks at me quizzically, as if to ask "What happened?". "Selva just won us our first Gym Badge, " I say, holding the Trio Badge up to her. She glares at Selva and bats the badge out of my hands, but Selva catches it with Vine Whip.

Pardin hisses and disappears back into my hood. "You have interesting Pokémon as well," Cress says and Selva hands me my badge back. Chili takes Chuck aside, and whispers, not too quietly, "We weak links need to stick together!"

"Yeah!" Chuck replies. I hear them exchange phone numbers, and Chili and Chuck leave the Gym, arms around each others' shoulders.

"There they go..." Cress says, sighing. "They'll probably train together until Chili gets frustrated and suspends their new friendship," Cilan says.

"Has this happened before?" I ask.

"It doesn't happen very often, but it has happened before," Cress says. "But it shouldn't be too big of a problem, so I wouldn't worry about it," Cilan says, laying his hand on my left shoulder. Suddenly, with his touch, my arm explodes with pain. I gasp, and I fall to my knees, holding my arm, dropping Selva accidentally. Pardin pokes her head out of my hood and licks my cheek comfortingly.

"Huh, I guess I don't know my own strength," Cilan jokes. I grit my teeth in an attempt to smile. "Did something happen?" Cress asks.

"Yeah, I took a Sucker Punch to the arm on the way to Striaton City," I reply.

"The Pokémon Center has a trainer care section," Cress says.

"We should get you there," Cilan says. "Okay," I say, and I stand up carefully, trying not to move my arm.

The two Gym Leaders escort me to the Pokémon Center, and Nurse Joy leads us to the trainer care section. They take an X-Ray of my arm, and inform me that I have a fracture. "Normally, it would take a few months to heal, but if we put you on a thrice daily Heal Pulse plan, you should heal in about three weeks."

"Three weeks?!" I exclaim.

"Well, we can heal Pokémon almost instantly, but humans are different," the woman says apologetically.

"If I may interrupt, are there more healing moves that may work?" Cress asks.

"Heal Bell, Healing Wish, and Wish are the only moves that can affect those other than the user," the woman says.

"Then if you have Audino using these moves on him constantly, how long will the process take?" Cilan asks.

"Well, we only have three Audino in this Center branch, so it may take about a week and a half if they are healing him thrice daily," the woman says.

"I'm guessing that's the best we can get," Cilan says, shrugging.

The woman puts my arm in a cast of sorts, and then I'm escorted to a room by a nurse and three Audino. When they get me comfortable in a bed, the nurse sends out a Petilil. "Sleep Powder," she says. The Petilil shoots a white powder in my direction, I inhale, and am out cold.

I wake up to Pardin and Selva standing on my bed, glaring at each other. "Woah, what happened? Why are you two fighting?" I ask, sitting up. Pardin and Selva glance at me, then back at each other, then huff and turn away from each other. Oh dear. "Why are you two always at each others' throats?" I ask, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.

I stand up. "Well, I can't understand what you guys say, so you need to work it out with each other," I say, tired. I stand up, and walk to the bathroom connected to the room I'm staying in. I do my business, then notice the shower. Oh, a shower would be perfect. My cast is waterproof, so I can take a shower without any protective covering.

I begin to take off my clothes, then the door opens, while I'm about to take off my pants. My shirt and socks are lying on the floor by my feet. Pardin walks in, and her eyes light up when she sees me. She closes the door behind her and jumps up to hit the lock. "How did you even open the door?" I ask. She smiles slyly, and motions for me to continue taking my pants off.

"Are you serious? With Selva in the other room?" I ask. Pardin nods. Wait a second. I turn on the shower, and water starts spouting from the showerhead, making the usual noise. Pardin's smile widens. I strip down, and climb into the shower, which also has a tub in case the guest wanted to take a bath. I adjust the showerhead so that it almost sprays straight down, and I sit down, back against the wall opposite the faucet.

Pardin jumps in after me, and carefully avoiding the water, grabs my dick with her paws. She strokes it, and I'm instantly hard. She smiles again, and puts it in her mouth. She moves her head up and down on my dick, and I gasp slightly. Has she done this before? Did she suck my dick while I was asleep last time? She moves her head down as far as she can go, which is about halfway down my dick.

"Oh, wow," I breathe, and Pardin starts sucking faster. I grab the top of her head with one hand, and push her down, before letting her come back up. This continues for about another minute, before I shove my dick as far as I can into her mouth and cum without warning. "I'm so sorry!" I exclaim. Pardin coughs, but swallows it all, and smiles. She then climbs into my lap, and sticks my semi-hard dick inside of her. It hardens inside of her, and she mews, before I start to move her up and down on me.

She purrs while we continue to go slowly. Her insides feel amazing. I can also fit my entire length inside her somehow. "Ready to go faster?" I ask. Pardin nods. I begin to thrust slightly faster, while simultaneously moving her up and down. She mews loudly, but the noise from the shower should keep Selva from hearing. After a few minutes, I'm about to finish. "I'm going to cum, Pardin, where do you want it?" I ask. She motions for me to do it inside her. With a final thrust, I cum inside of her, and she mews even louder, before quieting down to a steady purring.

She climbs off me, licking up all the cum that she missed. I clean us up with a little bit of warm water, and Pardin discovers that she doesn't mind warm water as much. I dry us off, and I open the bathroom door. Selva is asleep on the table by the window, which has the evening sun shining through it. Well she is a grass type, I guess it's only natural for her to want to be in the sun.

I walk into the room, a towel around my waist. Pardin swaggers out of the bathroom as I'm putting on fresh clothes. I think I can guess why she's in a good mood. Then, as soon as I finish putting on my clothes, there is a knock at the door. I open it, and there is the nurse and the three Audino again. After a few seconds of Sleep Powder, I'm out cold.

This process continues for about a week. Three times a day, the nurse and the three Audino put me under to heal me. Selva discovers the warm bath, and takes one every night. Pardin takes this opportunity while Selva is distracted and deafened by the water, and seduces me whenever Selva takes a bath.

I take a shower nearly every afternoon. Pardin doesn't walk in on me again, one, because I lock the door, and two, because Selva would notice. I'm concerned, because I don't see Chuck all week. Is he still training? I need to finish healing and get into the field so we can train.

One day, I decide to take a walk through the Pokémon Center. After I walk into the main lobby, I see Chuck enter the Center. When he sees me, he runs over to me. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" he exclaims.

"I've been recovering," I point to my arm.

"Oh, was that from N?" Chuck asks. I nod.

"Well, do you feel up for some training once you recover?" he asks.

"Hell to the fucking yeah!" I say. "I've been waiting all week to train, but because of my arm they won't let me out of here!"

"I feel for you, man. Do you want to play cards in your room or something?" he asks.

"Sure," I reply. We go to my room, where Pardin is sleeping on the pillow, and Selva is sleeping on the table by the window again.

We play cards for about an hour, then the nurse and Audino stop by, and Chuck has to leave. I'm out cold for a few hours, and then I wake up to Selva and Pardin fighting again. Except this time, they are actually physically fighting. The two of them are rolling around on the floor, wrestling, while Pardin hisses and Selva squeals.

"Stop fighting!" I yell. They both stop fighting and look at me. "What the hell is the issue? Why do you keep fighting?" I ask. The two of them let go of each other, and Pardin jumps onto the bed and Selva onto the table. Pardin makes frantic gestures, trying to communicate.

"Okay, slow down. First, both of you try to explain why you are fighting. I know that at first Pardin was jealous of Selva, because she was new and she also won us the Gym Badge. Is that the reason you are fighting now?" I ask. Pardin shakes her head. "Then tell me why," I say. Pardin makes more gestures that I can't understand. "I'm so sorry, I just don't know what you're trying to say," I say. I lay back down heavily. "I'm tired; I'm going to sleep," I sigh.

I wake up, and something feels different. My arm doesn't hurt and I can't feel the cast. I touch my arm, feeling where the cast was. I suddenly feel someone pulling my pants down. "What the-" I whisper, and I turn on the lamp by the bed. Selva is standing next to me, her vines hooked over the tops of my pants and boxer briefs.

Selva stares at me, blushing guiltily. "What the hell are you doing?" I ask, although I think I already know the answer... "Why are you pulling my pants down?" I ask. She doesn't answer, neither with words I can't understand, nor with gestures. Suddenly, one of her vines wraps around my wrist, and when I yelp and try to unwrap it, she ends up tying up both of my wrists, and holds them above my head.

I guess I should have seen that coming... When one of your wrists is tied, why would you try to undo it with the other hand, especially when the thing tying your wrist is a vine connected to a grass snake Pokémon. I guess I panicked. Selva pulls down my pants until, my dick is visible. When she sees it, her brown eyes widen, and she smiles evilly.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask. Selva begins to talk in her Pokémon language, but in the middle of her talking, I discover that I can understand some of her words.

"... _want... try it... curious... feelings..._ "

"Wait a second. Start over from the beginning of what you said," I say, kind of alarmed.

" _I was taking a bath, and when I was done, I opened the door to see you and Pardin mating. I have always wanted to try it, and I was curious as to why you would be willing to mate with a Pokémon. My feelings confuse me._ "

Why can I understand what she's saying? "I can understand you..." I whisper in awe.

" _You can?_ " Selva asks, sounding shocked. I nod. " _Well this is awkward..._ " Selva says.

"So are you having second thoughts about tying me up and having sex with me, now that I can understand what you're saying?" I ask hopefully.

" _No_ ," she replies without hesitation.

Selva wraps her other vine around my dick, and begins to jerk me off. " _I want to see why Pardin is so happy around you, and why she wants to keep me away from you_ ," Selva says. I groan; her stroking is starting to feel good, and I now have an erection. Her eyes light up when she sees my erect dick. " _Oh my_ ," she whispers.

"Well, it is true that our first bonding moment was having sex, but that was mostly Pardin's fault. We worked on our relationship after that, but I'm still not sure what we are," I say. I look around. "Where is Pardin, anyway?" I ask.

" _Oh, she's sleeping in the bathroom. She likes the rug_ ," Selva answers.

"But as for why she's so happy around me, maybe it's because I treat her like an equal. I treat her like a really good friend." Selva starts stroking faster.

" _Well, let me experience 'bonding' with you_ ," she says seductively. Oh dear. She still has my hands tied. Is this a kink of hers? Bondage?

"Would you mind untying me?" I ask politely.

" _I'd rather not. You might try to get away. And besides_ ," she says, licking her lips, " _you look quite appetizing the way you are_." Yup. Definitely a fetish of hers. Selva unwraps her vine from my dick. I'm about to sigh in relief, but then she puts it in her mouth. My body shivers in pleasure against my will.

She smiles, my dick still in her mouth, which is incredibly hot. Selva begins moving her head up and down, sucking on my dick. I moan, and this makes her move faster. I gasp in pleasure, and I begin humping helplessly at her mouth. Selva stops, and lets me fuck her mouth, before she starts sucking again, even faster this time.

She also starts going even deeper. My dick touches the back of her throat, and Selva gags slightly, but continues forcing her mouth down my dick. After a few seconds, my dick has completely disappeared down her throat. At this point, I can't take anymore, and I cum in her throat. Her eyes widen, and she gasps, my dick still down her throat.

However, she just breathes out of her nose and keeps sucking. " _What the hell are you doing_?!" I hear a new voice ask. Oh no. Pardin jumps onto the bed and pulls Selva off my dick. " _You tied him up and sucked on his cock? What is wrong with you?!_ " Selva smirks.

" _Look at him. He wants me to keep going,_ " she says.

Pardin glances at me. The look of lust on my face and my erect dick are obviously giving evidence to Selva's statement. " _Well of course he wants you to keep going! Males can't control themselves! If you give them something like that, they're going to want more!_ " Pardin snarls. Selva continues to smile, and her vine doesn't move from my wrists.

" _He's mine, Selva. Whenever you were in the bath, I was making him mine. Every. Single. Night._ " Pardin says cockily. Selva glares at her.

" _I know. I could hear you. I also saw you one night. That's why I want him. I wanted to see what had you head over heels for a human,_ " she says. Pardin seems taken aback.

" _You could hear us? What about the water drowning out noise?_ " she asks.

Selva laughs, a strange hissing/squealing hybrid sound. " _I only need the water on for a few minutes before the tub is full enough for me to be comfortable,_ " she says. " _Whenever the water was off and I was just sitting in the water, I could hear everything. He was making you scream._ "

My mind clears and my erection calms down a bit. Selva notices, and smiles. " _By the way, Pardin, did you know he understood every word we just said_?" she asks. Pardin's head whips around to look at me.

" _No he can't! Humans can't understand us!_ " she exclaims. " _Go on, ask him a question_ ," Selva says, giggling.

" _Fine. Travis, who do you want more, Selva or me_?" Pardin asks, glaring at Selva.

"I can't answer that," I reply. Pardin's eyes grow wide.

" _Oh my,_ " she whispers. " _But... that doesn't make sense!_ " Pardin exclaims.

"Don't worry about things making sense, just worry about minding your tongue when you're around me, so you don't say something you don't want me to hear," I say.

" _But how..? When..?_ " Pardin stammers.

" _Just suck his cock,_ " Selva grabs Pardin's head with her vine, and holds up my dick with her hand, forcing Pardin's head down, almost forcing my dick into her mouth. Is this going to be a threesome?

"Will you two stop fighting now?" I ask. They look at each other.

" _You won't choose one of us_?" Pardin asks. I shake my head.

"No. I love both of you, and I can't just reject one of you. Besides, it would isolate the rejected from the other two, and that would be awkward and depressing."

" _So we're going to have to share him because we both want him_?" Pardin asks.

" _It looks that way,_ " Selva answers. They smile in understanding at each other, and Selva retracts her vine from Pardin's head. Selva and Pardin get on either side of my dick and both put their mouths on their sides of my dick, moving their heads up and down alternating between one being up, and the other being down.

I'll admit, I've watched porn before. But I've never seen anything this hot. Selva stops, and wraps her vine around my dick again. Pardin puts my dick in her mouth, and she sucks while Selva strokes. After about thirty seconds of this, I cum in Pardin's mouth. She swallows, and Selva grins.

" _Hop on. I've had my fun already. And you're still a virgin,_ " Pardin teases Selva.

" _Stop that, it doesn't matter if I'm a virgin,_ " Selva protests.

"She's got a point," I say.

" _Shut up,_ " Pardin says. She holds my dick for Selva while she climbs on. She struggles to get me inside her, however.

"If my hands were free I could help..." I hint.

My hands are instantly untied. I grab Selva's hips and push into her. She screams, but Pardin shoves one of the bedsheets in her mouth, muffling her. I move Selva up and down while thrusting in and out of her at the same time. Muffled screams of pleasure come through the sheet Selva is biting. Pardin pleasures herself with her paw while watching me fuck Selva.

"Selva, I'm gonna cum! Do you want it inside?" I gasp. She nods, eyes shut tight and teech clenching the sheet. With a final heave, I release my load inside her, and a long, muffled scream is heard. Selva's eyes are wide, and her body shivers, before she relaxes. Pardin also finishes, shuddering before helping Selva off me. The two of them clean up any cum that splattered anywhere, but thankfully, none got on the sheets. I pull up my pants and Pardin and Selva curl up on either side of my chest, and we all sleep together.


	10. Chapter 10: Separation

**Chapter 10-** **Separation**

Travis' POV

The next morning, I wake up to find both Pardin and Selva laying on my chest. They are both sound asleep, and both smiling in their sleep. There is a knock on the door, and the nurse comes in with the Audinos. Her eyes widen when she sees that my cast is off. "Why is your cast off? There are still three days left in the assigned healing timeframe!" she exclaims.

"I don't even know why it's off. I woke up sometime last night and it was off, but my arm felt fine," I reply.

"Well, we'll be the judge of if your arm is 'fine' or not," she says, and she gently grabs my arm, slowly bending it and massaging it, and working my shoulder in its socket. She stands up. "Well, it would appear that you have healed ahead of schedule. However, just to be safe, we'll perform a final healing session on you," she says, and before I can protest, Petilil is brought out, and I'm knocked unconscious.

When I wake up, it's mid-afternoon. Pardin and Selva are sitting on my stomach, obviously impatient for me to wake up. I sit up groggily. "Ugh, how long was I out?" I ask, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

" _After we woke up? A few hours_ ," Pardin says, not sounding very happy with me.

"Have you been sitting there the entire time?" I ask.

" _Not the entire time, but for the majority of the time, yes_ ," Selva answers.

I sigh, and Pardin and Selva jump off me as I swing my legs off the side of the bed and stand up. I stretch and flex my healed arm. "Well, I guess we go look for Chuck and train, huh?" I say. Selva and Pardin nod, and we pack my bag and leave the room.

We exit the Pokémon Center, and walk around Striaton City, looking for Chuck. It probably would have been a good idea to exchange phone numbers... As we walk, Pardin in my hood and Selva in my arms, we see Cilan walking towards us. "Oh, hello Travis," Cilan says. "I see you've made a full recovery; and ahead of schedule, too!"

"Yeah," I reply. "Have you seen Chuck?" I ask. Cilan points up the street.

"He's in the Dream Yard with Chili. Go up that street and turn left. You can't miss it," he says. "Also, could you tell Chili that he needs to come back to the Gym? He left his cell phone on silent again," Cilan says.

"Will do. Thanks," I say, and we part ways.

I follow Cilan's directions, and end up in front of a sign reading "Dreamyard." I walk into the Dreamyard, which appears to be the ruins of a building of some kind surrounded by a forest. Suddenly, I hear shouting.

"Incinerate!" someone yells.

"Water Gun!" another yells. I know that voice. I follow the voices until I find Chuck and Chili in a heated battle, Pansear versus Oshawott. Chuck's Patrat is standing by Chuck, watching.

The two battling Pokémon send bursts of flame and jets of water at each other, before the trainers notice me. "Hey, Travis!" Chuck calls.

"What's up, Snivy Boy?" calls Chili. The two battling Pokémon stop their attacks and return to their trainers' sides.

"So you finally got out of the trainer care, huh?" Chuck asks.

"Yeah," I reply. "Also, Chili, Cilan wants you back at the Gym. He says your cell was on silent so you didn't know he was trying to contact you."

"Oh. Damn," Chili says, whipping out his phone. He returns Pansear and runs off shouting "See you guys!"

"He's always bouncing around," Chuck says, shaking his head.

"So what do we do now?" I ask, putting Selva down next to me. Chuck grins.

"We train of course!" Suddenly, we hear a wailing noise from beyond a wall near us. "What was that?" Chuck asks.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," I reply.

"Let's go check it out," Chuck says.

I reluctantly follow Chuck through a hole in the wall, Selva holding on to me because she's scared, and Pardin sticking her head out of my hood in interest. Once we go behind the wall, we see two... Team Plasma was it? Team Plasma grunts, wearing the same weird outfits as the ones from Accumula Town. Between them is a small pink Pokémon with purple flowers on its back.

Suddenly, one of the grunts kicks the Pokémon, causing it to cry out in the same wailing sound we heard earlier. "You bastards!" Chuck cries. The grunts look up from their abuse of the Pokémon and see us.

"Oh no, we've been spotted," one says.

"Don't worry. We can take them out," the other says, smirking.

The two grunts throw a Pokéball each, and send out two Patrats. Chuck, who is beyond himself with anger, holds out his hand. "Travis, they're mine," he says, growling. He sends out his own Patrat and Oshawott.

"Tackle!" yell the Plasma grunts, and the two Patrats lunge forward.

"Dodge, then Bite and Water Gun!" yells Chuck. Chuck's Pokémon dodge their attackers' attacks, and retaliate, landing direct hits each.

"Bide!" yells one of the grunts. The Patrat that is in Chuck's Patrat's jaws, starts to glow white.

"Bite!" Chuck yells. After Chuck's Patrat chomps down harder on the glowing Patrat, "Again!" Chuck yells, sounding panicked. This time, when Chuck's Patrat Bites the other Patrat, the Patrat lashes out, and Chuck's Patrat is sent flying into the wall. "Oshawott, Water Gun!" Chuck screams. Oshawott blasts the offending Patrat, and it goes down.

"Bite!" commands the grunt with the remaining Patrat. Oshawott gets hit with Bite, and I've had enough.

"You fucking hypocrites!" I yell. The grunts' attention is drawn to me, holding Selva and shaking with righteous anger. "You talk big, with your 'Pokémon liberation' bullshit, but you're really just using that as cover for your own Pokémon cruelty. I've had enough of you!"

Pardin and Selva jump down to the ground, and stalk towards the grunts. The grunt with the fainted Patrat brings out another Pokéball after returning Patrat. "Don't be so self-righteous, brat," he says, sneering. "We just need this Munna's Dream Mist, and then we'll be on our way." He throws his second Pokéball, and our bursts a Purrloin.

Pardin sneers at the smirking Purrloin, and disappears, using Pursuit on the other Purrloin."Selva, Leaf Tornado," I say. Selva leaps into the air, a funnel of swirling leaves appearing around her tail. She slams this into the remaining Plasma Pokémon and they're taken down instantly. Selva lands in my arms, and Pardin jumps back in my hood.

"No!" cries one of the grunts. "We have to get this Dream Mist some way or another!" says the other, and she kicks the Pokémon, Munna, again.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Chuck yells. Suddenly, Ghetsis appears behind the grunts. "What are you two doing, goofing off?" he thunders.

"So sorry, Lord Getsis!" the grunts yelp, and they return their fainted Pokémon and scramble away. Then, just as sudden as Ghetsis appeared, he disappears.

Then, a larger Pokémon that looks similar to Munna floats out of the shadows. The Pokémon is purple with a pink head, and pink smoke trailing out of an oval in its forehead.

 _"Thank you_ ," says a voice in my head, and the Pokémon and Munna float away, leaving behind some pink smoke. Chuck returns his Pokémon and walks away briskly.

"Whats wrong?" I ask.

"I need to get stronger," he says quietly.

"That's why we were going to train, isn't it?" I ask, confused. "No, I need to get stronger. You are strong Travis. You and your Pokémon. But my Pokémon and I... we need to become stronger together. You guys are so far out of my league, and I need to work with my partners to become as strong as you." And with this, I stop and he walks away, alone.

As he walks out of the Dreamyard, Fennel passes his on her way in. "That boy looked mighty depressed," she comments to me.

"Yeah," I reply. She passes me and goes into the area where we fought Team Plasma. I walk into the city, and head for Route 3.


	11. Chapter 11: Homecoming

**Chapter 11: Homecoming**

After passing the daycare and walking up the path, I come across a little girl crying. Oh no... I don't know how to deal with this... Suddenly, Selva jumps out of my arms and walks up to the little girl. When she sees Selva, the little girl looks up at me. "You-you're a Pokémon trainer, right?" she asks, lower lip quivering. I sigh.

"Yeah, I am. Why are you crying?" I ask.

"These people in funny clothes took my friend Lilipup away. They said they were 'liberating' him, but he was crying as they took him away, and wouldn't let me take him back," she sobs.

This Team Plasma is starting to get on my nerves. "Don't worry. I'll get your friend back. Where did the funny men go?" I ask. She points up the hill towards Wellspring Cave.

"Up there," she replies.

"Alright. Would it help you if Selva stayed with you?" I ask. She nods. Selva puts her hands on her hips and tries to look threatening. I smile. "She'll protect you, don't worry," I say.

Leaving the little girl with Selva, Pardin and I walk up the hill to Wellspring Cave. Pardin hisses as she senses my anger towards Team Plasma. "Pokémon liberation my ass," I grumble. We enter Wellspring Cave, and immediately, in the low light from the entrance, we see two Team Plasma grunts, and standing behind them, shaking with what I'm assuming is fear, is a Lilipup.

"Hello motherfuckers," I say, grinning humorlessly. The grunts flinch. "I hear you've stolen a Pokémon from a little girl. Now, why would grown people like yourselves be picking on small children and their Pokémon friends?" I ask.

"It's for-" one of the grunts starts, but I interrupt.

"-Pokémon liberation, I know. And quite frankly, I'm tired of your shit. Stop stealing Pokémon from their human friends, and stop abusing Pokémon for your own selfish agenda!" I yell as the grunts, panicking now, both send out Patrat.

"Pardin, Pursuit," I say. Pardin attacks the Patrat until they are no longer able to battle. "You know, I feel really sorry for your Pokémon. Also, isn't using Pokémon in the same way you say they are being abused in to 'liberate' them kinda hypocritical?" I ask. The grunts just run past me and out the cave, leaving the Lilipup behind. The Pokémon slowly walks up the me, and I pick it up. "Come on, let's get you back to your friend," I say.

After returning Lilipup to the little girl, whose name I find out is Hannah, Pardin, Selva and I take our leave.

As we near Nacrene City, I get a sense of homecoming. I wonder how Mom and Dad will react to my new friends? Of course, they can't know about... what I've been doing with them, but in this case, what they don't know can't hurt them. Upon entering Nacrene City, I'm immediately greeted by Leonard and Yolanda on the street.

"Welcome back to town, Travis!" says Leonard.

"Thanks, it's good to be back, even if it's just for a little while," I reply, smiling. Pardin sticks her head out of my hood.

"And who are these little cuties?" Yolanda asks.

"This is Pardin, and this is Selva," I say, gesturing to each in turn.

"Well they are adorable, and the three of you go well together," Leonard says.

"Thanks, Leonard," I say.

"Well, you'd better get home, I'm sure your parents will be very surprised and happy to see you. And besides, it's going to be dark soon," Yolanda says. We say goodbye, and I head home.

Before entering my house, I stop and take a deep breath. Selva and Pardin sense how nervous I am. " _Don't worry. They're your parents. They know you want to go on your journey. They won't force you to stay home,_ " Pardin says reassuringly.

"I know, I just.." I hesitate.

" _You just what_?" Selva asks.

"I don't know. I guess the main reason I'm nervous is what they'll think if they find out about what we've been doing," I say. Pardin and Selva smile sheepishly.

" _They won't ask, and you won't tell,_ " Pardin says. I grin.

"Yeah," I say, and I open the door. My mom, who is in the kitchen, looks up, surprised, and smiles widely.

"Welcome home, Travis," she says, and rushes over to me, nearly hugging me and crushing Selva before she realizes I have a Pokémon in my arms.

"Oh! I didn't see you there!" she exclaims. She smiles at Selva, who regards her with a cool, dignified expression.

Pardin pokes her head out of my hood and mews, " _What about me_?" demanding attention, even though my mom can't understand her.

"Aww, and you have another adorable little friend," my mom beams while she strokes Pardin's head. Pardin purrs, loving the attention.

"This is Selva," I say, holding her out to my mom. She takes Selva and hugs her lightly.

"Well hello, Selva. I'm Travis' mother," she says.

"And this is Pardin," I say, rubbing Pardin's head.

"Your father is in the study. Go say hello, introduce your friends, and then we'll have dinner," my mom says. She hands Selva back to me, and I walk down the hall to the study.

" _You know, I don't like being passed around like an object, no matter how cute I am,_ " Selva says, pouting. I smile.

"I know. My mom probably thinks of you as family at this point, and she loves hugging family members. Just deal with it," I say.

I knock on the study door. "Honey, you know you can just-" my dad starts as he opens the door, but he stops when he sees me. "Oh. Welcome home, Travis," he says. "Who are your friends?" he asks.

"This is Selva, and this is Pardin," I say, and they nod in time with their names.

"Well, you two had better take care of my son, you hear?" my dad says.

"Dinner time, boys!" my mom calls from the kitchen.

Dinner is rather uneventful. We have Pokémon food because of Dovey, and mom serves Selva and Pardin, who both insist on sitting on the table on either side of me. During the meal, Dovey flies in the window, home from her evening flight, and I introduce her to my girls. She doesn't seem to like them, but she tolerates them, and treats them politely.

After dinner, I go to my room, and my mom takes my bags, to wash any dirty clothes and to just tidy up in general. I give Selva and Pardin a tour of my room, which is short: bed, closet, desk. I lie down heavily on my bed, and Selva and Pardin flop on top of me. " _So, what will we be doing tomorrow_?" asks Selva.

"We'll probably challenge Lenora, and head into the Pinwheel Forest on our way to Castelia City," I reply.

"Travis," my mom calls from outside my room, "I'll wash your jacket, too, and I'll put some more supplies and money in your bag. Now get some rest. You'll want to be rest if you want to challenge Lenora tomorrow."

" _She knows you well,_ " Pardin observes. I push my girls off of me, and get up to take off my pants. When I turn back around, minus a pair of pants, Pardin and Selva are staring at me, both with a look that is quite familiar. "No. We are not doing that. Get that look off your faces," I whisper. Pardin and Selva share a matching smirk.

Selva reaches out with Vine Whip, and grabs me around the waist, dragging me to the bed. I don't dare say anything, because if I did, my mom and dad would hear. I'm laid out on the bed, and Vine Whip is retracted. Selva and Pardin pull my boxer briefs down, and Selva immediately puts her mouth over my dick. Pardin crawls onto my chest, and licks my neck. I suppress a moan.

While Selva sucks my dick, Pardin nibbles on my neck and ears. "Where did you learn this?" I whisper.

" _You don't seriously think that I did nothing while you were sleeping at the Pokémon Center,do you_?" she asks. "What did you do?" I gasp as she nips the top of my ear. " _I eavesdropped on humans mating of course,_ " she replies.

"Of course you did, you little creepy perv," I smile.

" _You're calling me a perv_?" Pardin asks. " _Who exactly is about to mate with his two Pok_ émon _?"_

"Fair point," I say.

" _Move over, Selva. I want some of this,_ " Pardin gently shoves Selva away, and she takes over sucking my dick. Now it's Selva's turn to kiss and lick my neck and ears. With a quiet moan, I cum in Pardin's mouth. Selva blocks my vision, but I feel Pardin climb on my dick, and insert me inside of her. I grab Pardin's hips, and begin to thrust in and out of her.

Selva grabs my hands with Vine Whip, and makes me move Pardin up and down, while simultaneously thrusting in and out of her. Pardin mews loudly. I grab a corner of my bed sheet and shove it in her mouth. "Shh," I hiss. We continue for a few minutes until I cum, and then Selva climbs on. I thrust in and out of Selva, and Pardin throws the bed sheet in her mouth before she can make any loud noises.

"Travis?" I hear my mom ask from outside my room. Shit. Selva quickly hops off my dick, and I grab the bedsheet and throw it over us. My door opens, and my mom appears in the doorway. "Is everything okay? I heard Pardin make a loud noise," my mom says, sounding concerned.

"It's okay, I think she just had a nightmare," I say, face burning red in the semi-darkness. Pardin visibly crawls from under the sheet and snuggles up to my arm.

"Okay, goodnight, Travis. Goodnight Selva and Pardin." And with that, my room is dark again.

" _I had a nightmare, please comfort me with your cock,_ " Selva mocks.

"Shut up," I whisper, and I throw off the sheet, grab Selva, and shove myself inside of her. She squeals, and Pardin shoves the sheet in her mouth again, and I begin to quickly fuck her.

" _Slow down,_ " Selva moans through the sheet.

"No," I growl, and I lick her neck, causing her to moan again.

" _That's what you get for opening your mouth for something other than his cock,_ " Pardin scolds, purring in amusement. I finish without warning, and Selva moans, before we both collapse onto the bed. Pardin helps clean up, and we all settle down for the night.


	12. Chapter 12: Pinwheel Quest

**Chapter 12: Pinwheel Quest**

After breakfast, and several minutes of hugging, my mom sees me and my dad off, waving to us from the door. My dad and I walk to the museum/Gym together. "Good luck, Travis. I know you can do it," my dad says when we stand outside the museum door. "I have to get to work, so do your best in your battle," he says, and he walks in the museum. I'm about to follow, but after my dad walks in, N walks out.

"You!" I say.

N looks at me. "Ah. hello again. I'm so sorry for last time. I heard your arm was fractured, is that correct?" he asks.

"What do you care? As far as you're concerned, I'm just an 'abusive' trainer," I growl.

"I realize that you and your friend take good care of your Pokémon friends. However, I still want to battle you again. I... want to see things no one can see. The truths of Pokémon inside Pokéballs. The ideals of how trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect. Do you feel the same?" N asks.

"Um... I'm not really sure what you mean by that, but if you mean a world where humans and Pokémon are truly friends or partners, then yes," I reply.

"Is that so? I think my friends and I should test you to see if you're ready to see this future," N says. Suddenly, three Pokémon jump out of the bushes. I whip my book out. There's a Pidove, which I recognized, a Tympole, and a Timburr.

"Well then, three on two? This should be interesting," I say. Pardin and Selva jump to the ground.

"Air Cutter, Rock Throw, Mud Shot," N commands. The Pidove flies into the air and flaps its wings, sending razor sharp gusts of wind at Pardin and Selva. The Timburr rips a rock out of the ground, and hurls it at them. The Tympole shoots a stream of mud from its mouth. Selva and Pardin dodge, but barely. I can tell that we are not only outnumbered, but severely outmatched.

" _What can we do_?" Pardin asks, looking to me for encouragement.

"We can't win, so if possible, we run again," I reply. N begins to start another round of commands, but he stops.

"You can hear them, too?" he asks, voice full of awe.

"Hear them?" I ask.

"You can understand the words Pokémon speak. You're like me in that aspect," N explains.

" _So do we keep battling, or.._?" the Timburr asks.

"No. We let them go this time," N says. "Thank you my friends, for assisting me in this battle," N says, and the three Pokémon disappear into the bushes.

"Right now, our friends aren't strong enough to save all Pokémon," N says, sighing. "Maybe I can't solve the equation that can change the world. So now I just need power, power enough to make everyone agree with me." N begins to walk away, but stops. "I know what power I need. One of the legendary Pokémon that along with the heroes, created the Unova Region. It's my turn to be that hero- and you and I will be friends!" he says. And with this, N walks in the direction of Pinwheel Forest.

"What an interesting character..." I say. Pardin jumps into my hood and I pick up Selva. "Are you both alright? Do we need to visit the Pokémon Center?" I ask.

" _I didn't get hit, did you_?" asks Selva.

" _Nope_ ," says Pardin.

"Okay, that's good. Now we can do our Gym battle!" I say, and we enter the museum.

I've been in the museum many times, usually with my dad, but I know the layout quite well. In the very center, there is an enormus skeleton of a dragon-like Pokémon. and around the room there are fossils, bones, and other artifacts, including a meteor, and an ancient mask. I wave to Hawes, and head straight to the stairs at the back of the museum, which lead to Lenora's library, as well as her Gym/office.

In the library, there are several bookshelves holding hundreds of volumes. When I was younger, I loved to sit in here for hours, just reading. Just as I'm about to ask a woman at the desk where Lenora was, a bookcase begins to shake, and slides across the floor, revealing a staircase. Ah. A secret entrance. Of course.

"Welcome, Travis," Lenora says.

"Hey," I reply.

"I hear you've come to challenge me," she continues.

"Yeah, I have," I say.

"Well, follow me to the battlefield," she says, turning and walking down the hidden staircase. I follow, and the staircase slides back into place behind me. At the bottom of the staircase is a huge room, which consists of Lenora's Gym with a battlefield, and her office, which is at the far end of the room, with a large wooden desk and more bookshelves.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Lenora asks. I nod. "The battle with be two versus two," she says. Lenora holds up a Pokéball, and throws it into the air. With a burst of light, a Pokémon appears on the ground in front of her. I flip through the pages of my book until I find the Pokémon, which is a Herdier, which evolves from Lilipup.

"Selva, you've got this," I say, and I put her down. She faces the larger Pokémon without fear, and the Herdier stares back. A man appears from the staircase. "Where did you come from?" I ask.

"I will be the referee," he says, ignoring my question. "Battle begin!" he calls. Lenora immediately springs into action.

"Herdier, Take Down!" she yells.

Herdier runs at Selva, kicking up dust behind it as it recklessly barrels towards her. Selva easily dodges the attack. "Now, Leaf Tornado!" I call. Selva's tail becomes enveloped in swirling leaves, and she slams the funnel into Herdier, who is sent sprawling, but gets back up after a few seconds. Lenora laughs.

"You hit hard, child, but we can take your attacks!"

"Now, Herdier, Bite!" Lenora commands. Herider races towards Selva, and when it gets close, it opens its jaws, ready to chomp down on Selva. Selva leaps to the side again, but this time, Herdier follows, making a quick turn and biting down on Selva. Selva cries out.

"Vine Whip!" I yell. Selva whips Herdier until it lets go of her.

"Leer!" Lenora calls.

"Growth!" I counter. Herdier lowers Selva's Defense, while Selva raises her own Attack and Special Attack.

"Get close with Take Down!" Lenora commands. Herdier bolts towards Selva.

"Wrap!" I call. Selva dodges Herdier's attack, but as it charges past her she wraps her snakelike body around Herdier. Then she starts to squeeze, damaging Herdier. "Growth again," I say, and Selva raises her attacking stats again. She then squeezes with even more boosted attack, and Herdier goes down.

"Herider is unable to battle," calls the ref.

"Good, you're a strong battler," Lenora commends me as she returns Herider. "But this battle isn't over yet," she says as she throws another Pokéball, and in a burst of light, another Pokémon appears. I turn a single page, and there it is: Watchog, evolution to Patrat. So Chuck will probably have this Pokémon later.

"Watchog, Retaliate!" Lenora yells, and Watchog rushes at Selva, and before either of us can react, slams into her, sending her flying into the wall.

"Selva!" I yell, and run over to pick her up. I take out Selva's Pokéball, and return her. "I know you don't like it, but I think this is an emergency," I say softly.

"Snivy is unable to battle," calls the ref.

"Retaliate is an attack that takes revenge for a fainted ally. If a Pokémon on my team faints, Retaliate's power increases," Lenora informs me. Pardin leaps to the ground.

" _It's my turn_!" she hisses. Watchog sneers at her.

"Watchog, Crunch," Lenora commands. Watchog is much faster than Herdier, and it rushes Pardin. But Pardin is faster than Selva, and she dodges by jumping over Watchog's head.

"Sand Attack!" I call, and Pardin sprays sand at Watchog, lowering it accuracy. Watchog shakes off most of the sand, but it will have a harder time landing atacks.

"Crunch again, " Lenora calls. Watchog lunges at Pardin, but she dodges with little effort, both due to her speed and the Watchog's reduced accuracy.

"Assist," I command, and Pardin uses Selva's Growth, raising her attacking stats.

"Leer," Lenora commands, and Watchog lowers Pardin's Defense. Pardin tsks, and disappears, using Pursuit, damaging Watchog with a boosted attack.

"Assist," I call again, and this time, Selva's Leaf Tornado knocks Watchog around for a few seconds before dissipating. "Sand Attack, then get close with Pursuit," I command, and Watchog gets more sand in its vision, lowering its accuracy further. Pardin then appears behind Watchong, attacking with Pursuit.

"Hypnosis!" Lenora yells.

Watchog turns around quickly and stares into Pardin's eyes. Pardin's eyelids droop, and she falls asleep. "No!" I yell.

"We had a good run child, but I think this battle is all but over," Lenora says. "Crunch until Purrloin faints," Lenora commands. Watchog, with its lowered accuracy manages to land a few hits on the sleeping Pardin, but also misses several times.

After a third Crunch hits, Pardin wakes up suddenly, and lashes out with Assist, using Selva's Vine Whip, knocking Watchog backwards. She snarls, and launches a furious Pursuit barrage, disappearing and reappearing multiple times, attacking Watchog until it faints.

Lenora returns Watchog, and the ref says "Watchog is unable to battle. Travis wins." Pardin turns to me, grinning. Then, she leaps at me, landing in my arms, and I hug her tightly while she nuzzles my chest. Suddenly, with a burst of light, Selva forces herself out of her Pokéball. She staggers a bit, then glares at me.

"I'm sorry, but you fainted, and I didn't have a choice," I say apologetically.

I open my arms a bit, and Selva rolls her eyes, smiles, then jumps into my arms, joining the hug. "We won, and that's what matters now," I say. "It doesn't matter if you lost to Watchog, you did wonderfully against Herdier, and I'm proud of you," I say quietly. Lenora walks over to us.

"Pardon me for intruding, but I couldn't help but notice that your Purrloin attacked on its own," she says, sounding curious.

"Yeah, she's a free spirit for the most part. She likes to do her own thing," I say.

"But she still trusts you enough to obey your commands?" Lenora asks.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Well, yours is one of the strangest fighting styles I've seen, and that battle was one of the most exhilerating I've had in a long time," Lenora says, smiling. She holds out her hand, and in it is a rectangular badge. "You are a trainer worthy of the Basic Badge." I take the badge, and put it in my bag.

There is a sound of the bookcase opening, and footsteps running sown the stairs. Hawes bursts into the room, breathing heavily. "Dear!" he exclaims, and flops to the ground at Lenora's feet. She picks him up, and sets him on his feet.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"The museum is under attack! Team Plasma is threatening to steal some bones!" Hawes says.

"What?" Lenora gasps. She runs for the staircase.

"Travis, you come too," Hawes says, and follows Lenora. I follow as well, Pardin in my hood and Selva in my arms. When I get to the top, I see Hawes disappearing into the museum.

I follow, and I hear Lenora yell "What do you think you're doing?" I enter the museum to see Lenora and Hawes, along with several museum employees, including my dad, facing off against a large group of Team Plasma grunts.

"So you've come, Gym Leader Lenora," says one grunt. "What are we doing? We are claiming this museum's dragon skull in the name of Team Plasma and Pokémon liberation! To show how serious we are, we've come to steal it right in front of you!"

"We won't let you get away with this!" Lenora yells, and a three employees throw Pokéballs, and Tranquil, Lilipup, and Roggenrola appear, ready to do battle.

"Sorry, but we didn't come for a battle," a grunt says. "Now, take our smoke screen!"

With a cry of "Plasmaaaa!" several white pellets are thrown to the ground, and a pale smoke bursts into the air, shielding Team Plasma from view. When the smoke clears, Team Plasma, along with the skull of the dragon Pokémon have disappeared.

"No!" Lenora yells, and she rushes towards to museum entrance.

Hawes, my dad, and the other employees and their Pokémon follow her, and I'm right on their tails. Outside, Lenora is looking down the roads frantically, and Hawes, my dad, and the other employees and their Pokémon are searching through the bushes. The Tranquil is flying overhead. A man with a green shirt, a red scarf, and long brown hair walks up to Lenora.

"Hey Lenora, find any good fossils lately?" he asks, obviously not aware of what's going on.

"What a surprise! Are you suffering from artist's block again?" Lenora asks, temporarily distracted. She turns to the crowd of people, spots me, and calls me over. "Travis, this is Burgh. He may not look like much, but he's the Castelia City Gym Leader," she introduces us. Burgh turns back to Lenora.

"I was just looking for a change of pace," he says. He then notices the group of people and Pokémon searching around the museum and making search parties to search the city. "It seems hectic around here. Did something happen?" he asks.

"Did something happen?" Lenora mocks. "Someone just walked away with an exhibit, that's what happened!"

"Travis!" I hear a voice call. I turn to see Chuck and Sera walking towards us; Sera is waving. What's going on? Chuck seems more reserved, and Sera is the excited one? Who are you and what did you do to my friends?

Sera, also not noticing the chaos, walks straight up to me, and hold out a Pokéball. "I challenge you to a battle. We can use this for training before our Gym battles!" she exclaims.

"Sorry young lady, but Travis here has already beaten this Gym," Lenora says, sounding amused.

"What?" Sera gasps, and I hold up the Basic Badge.

"Look around, Sera," Chuck says quietly. Sera looks around and sees all the people and Pokémon scrambling around.

"What's happening?" she asks.

"Team Plasma just stole a Pokémon skull," I inform them. Chuck adjusts his glasses.

"That doesn't make sense," he muses. "Up until now all they've done is attempt to 'liberate' Pokémon," he says using air quotes. "Now they've stolen a museum exhibit? That doesn't make sense..."

"It doesn't matter if it makes sense, what matters is that it happened," Lenora says. Lenora turns to the people and Pokémon, and yells "I'd like your attention, please." Immediately, all eyes and ears are on her. "I'd like you all to stay at the museum. Those of you with Pokémon, keep them out and on guard, in case Team Plasma comes back." The people and Pokémon crowd back into the museum.

"What are your names?" Lenora asks Sera and Chuck.

"I'm Sera, and this is Chuck," Sera says.

"I'd like the two of you to help me search the city for Team Plasma," Lenora says. She then turns to me and Burgh. "You two can search Pinwheel Forest, in case they've gotten that far," she says. "I'm counting on you!" she calls as she runs off. After a moment of hesitation, Sera and Chuck follow, running after her.

"Well, it looks like it's just you and me," Burgh says.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Let's stop at the Pokémon Center, then we'll get going," Burgh suggests. "Good idea." We walk to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy heals Selva and Pardin. "You'd better stock up on Antidotes," Burgh suggests. "There are a lot of Bug Type Pokémon in Pinwheel Forest, and they can poison your Pokémon." I buy several Antidotes and a few Parlyz Heals and Awakenings from the PokéMart inside the Pokémon Center.

"Alright, let's go," Burgh says, and we head across town to Pinwheel Forest. At the entrance, there is a sign warning trainers to bring healing items. We walk past the sign and head into the Forest. Inside the Forest, we are met with two paths: the main road to Skyarrow Bridge and Castelia City, and the long route into the forest.

"I don't want to make you go alone down the more dangerous path, and going together down the main road would be boring," Burgh says. Burgh pulls out a Pokéball, and throws it into the air. In a burst of light, a yellow and green bug-like Pokémon with leaves all over its body appears. "Leavanny, could you search the main road for Team Plasma for us?" Burgh asks.

" _I would be happy to, Burgh,_ " Leavanny says, bowing. Then, Leavanny turns and dashes away.

"And now we search the forest route together," Burgh says.

"Leavanny seems like a really cool Pokémon," I say.

"Oh it is," replies Burgh as we start walking down the forest route. "Leavanny is a Grass/Bug Type, and it can sew leaves together to make clothing."

"Wow, that's weird but cool at the same time," I say. We say nothing for the next few minutes. We see nothing on the forest path, no Team Plasma grunts, not even Pokémon.

"There should be more Pokémon out and about. Something is disturbing them," Burgh says.

"Team Plasma?" I ask.

"That's my guess," he replies. We turn a corner in the path, and come face to face with a Team Plasma grunt.

"Eep!" he yelps, and a Patrat and a Purrloin jump at us. Just as Burgh takes out a Pokéball, Pardin and Selva have already used Pursuit and Vine Whip to take them out. The grunt returns his Pokémon and runs deeper into the forest.

"So we're going the right way," Burgh says, as he stares at my determined expression. "We're going to find more grunts along the way, so we'll need some help," he says as he throws two Pokéballs into the air. In twin bursts of light, two Pokémon appear, one being small and crab-like with a rock shell, and the other looking like a wheel, but with an eye in the center and spines on the outside. I flip through my book, and find these Pokémon. Dwebble and Whirlipede.

"Alright, let's go," I say, and Burgh picks up and carries Dwebble while Whirlipede rolls along side him. We continue deeper into the forest. We come across more and more grunts, and we quickly beat them, and they retreat deeper into the forest. We then find a grunt and her Purrloin bullying two Pokémon they've cornered against a rock. The Purrloin is darting close to them as if to attack, but then backs away, smirking.

I look in my book, and identify the Pokémon. There is a reddish-purple one with a green midsection and spines on its rear end and head. That's a Venipede. The other is really small and has a yellow head with a green body and wearing a leaf like a hat/hood thing. That's a Sewaddle. Before I can say anything, Pardin leaps out of my hood, and pulverizes the other Purrloin with Pursuit, then an Assist Vine Whip. The grunt screams in surprise and runs away, leaving the fainted Pokémon behind.

I slowly walk up to the frightened Pokémon, and get down on my knees, letting Selva down next to me. "Don't worry, everything is okay. That mean lady and her Purrloin can't hurt you anymore," I say softly.

The Venipede hisses." _Stay back, human, or I'll sting you_!"

"Why would you do that?" I ask. "I'm just trying to comfort you."

" _Humans are destructive and greedy. You can't be any different,_ " the Venipede hisses.

"Not all humans are like that. If humans were greedy and destructive, why would some Pokémon choose to be friends with them?" I ask.

" _They are traitors to their kind,_ " the Venipede spits. " _Sucking up to the humans in return for an easy life._ " The Venipede then looks from side to side. " _Although, I guess you and your Purrloin saved us, so we owe you our thanks,_ " it says.

" _Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou,_ " the Sewadle bursts. " _You saved us_!"

"Now you can go about your business. Have a good day!" I say, picking up Selva and standing up. Pardin jumps back into my hood. The grunt's Purrloin then wakes up and scrambles into the bushes. The Venipede and Sewaddle crawl into the bushes in a different direction.

"Let's go," Burgh says, staring at me in awe. We continue walking for several minutes in silence. "Were you talking to those Pokémon?" Burgh asks suddenly.

"Define talking," I say. "Were you successfully communicating with them?" he asks.

"No," I say. I don't think anyone should know about this ability. "I was talking to them, but I coudn't understand them. I assumed they said 'thank you' before they walked away," I say.

"Well, I guess you just seemed like you were communicating with them, by the way they were so comfortably talking to you in their own language," Burgh says thoughtfully. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him casting suspicious glances at me as we continue walking. We eventually reach a clearing, where we see a large crowd of Team Plasma grunts. These are most likely the ones we beat earlier. When they see us, they sound the alarm, and a wave of fresh grunts file to the front to battle us.

They send out Patrats, Purrloins, and Watchogs. Burgh and I face them with Pardin, Selva, Dwebble, and Whirlipede. Pardin and Selva fight independantly, using Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado, and Pursuit to take out large amounts of enemy Pokémon. Burgh's Dwebble shoots rocks with Smack Down, and Whirlipede rolls into the enemy ranks and attacks with Poison Tail.

Before long, all enemy Pokémon have been defeated. A group of grunts carrying the Dragon Skull shuffle their way to the front. "Take your damn skull," one yells, and they heave it in our direction. Selva leaps forward and catches it with Vine Whip, but that only slows its fall, and I dive to catch the skull before it hits the ground; it's too heavy for Selva to carry.

"The skull!" I hear Lenora's voice yell.

"Now our king's dream is ruined," says a grunt, and most of the group shuffles away. Lenora runs into the clearing and takes the skull from me, and Selva lets go. She's quite strong. The remaining grunts are surrounding a man with grey hair and a long cloak similar to Ghetsis'.

The man is holding his hand to his ear. He nods, and says "Understood." He puts his arm at his side. "Fellow subjects of our king, do not be discouraged. According to or most recent research, the skull is not the legendary Pokémon for which Team Plasma is looking. It is completely unrelated." He then looks directly at me. "However, it would be most practical to fix this so none of them may interfere with our plans again," he says.

"Is this the big boss?" Lenora asks. The man shakes his head.

"I am but Gorm of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Along with Ghetsis, another one of the Sages, we will liberate Pokémon with words alone!" he says.

I snort. "Bullshit. You people have stolen, abused, and kidnapped to achieve your goal. And none of the means are in the same balpark as the ends," I say.

Gorm glares at me. "Do we still have a smokescreen available?" he asks the grunt closest to him.

"Yes sir," she replies.

"We will settle this someday," Gorm says, and with a cry of "Plasmaaaaa!" the grunts throw smoke bombs to the ground, and the clearing is filled with smoke. When the smoke dissipates, once again, Team Plasma is gone.

I walk over to a tree and sit against the trunk. "That was tiring," I say, and Selva and Pardin flop down into my lap, also exhausted. I then feel a sudden weight on both shoulders. I look to each side, and see the Venipede and Sewaddle Pardin saved earlier. "You again?" I ask.

" _Yes. Us,_ " Venipede hisses. " _Don't get the wrong idea. It wasn't my idea to join you. She talked me into it._ " The Sewaddle grins at me with her tiny mouth.

" _We'd like to join your team,_ " she says.

I feel Burgh's and Lenora's gazes on me, and I improvise. "Do you want to join my team?" I ask.

" _That's what she just said, idiot,_ " Venipede hisses.

"Shut up they don't know I can understand what you're saying, and I'd like to keep it that way," I hiss back. I pull two Pokéballs out of my bag, and hold them up the the two Pokémon. In unison, they press the buttons, and disappear into the balls. The Pokéballs wiggle, and go still, the buttons flashing once. Venipede and Sewaddle were caught.

I let them out again, and they sit on my shoulders. "I'll name you Venom," I say, pointing to Venipede. "And I'll name you Leafa," I say, pointing to Sewaddle. Venom looks away, hissing, and Leafa rubs her head against mine.

" _Don't mind her_ ," Leafa whispers. " _She's nice to her friends, but she doesn't act like it._ "

" _Shut up,_ " Venom hisses.

"Well this is nice and all, but I'd like to get this skull back to the museum, and I can't carry it all the way back," Lenora says. So on the way back to Nacrene City, Burgh and I take turns helping Lenora carry the skull. Once we return to the museum, Lenora immediately sets a group of employees to help her return the skull to its place on the skeleton.

Burgh and I meet outside the museum. "I'll be waiting for your challenge at the Castelia City Gym," he says.

"I'm looking forward to it!" I say as we shake hands.


	13. Chapter 13: Irresponsible Trainer

**Chapter 13: Irresponsible Trainer**

After Burgh leaves, Sera and Chuck approach me. "Now can we battle?" Sera asks impatiently. I shrug.

"Sure, if these guys are okay with it," I say.

" _Venom has a lot of pent-up aggression, let her fight,_ " Leafa says.

" _Shut it, leaf-sewer,_ " Venom hisses, and she crawls down my leg to the ground. Sera throws a Pokéball, and in a burst of light, a Pokémon appears. It's quadrupedal and is black with white stripes and mane. I flip through my book; it's a Blitzle. The Blitzle paws the ground.

"Spark!" Sera commands. The Blitzle crackles with electricity, and charges Venom, body cloaked in lightning.

"Protect!" I call. Venom creates a blue dome of energy around her, and the Blitzle crashes into it, not damaging either Pokémon. "Screech!" I command. Venom creates a high-pitched screeching noise, and Blitzle cowers at the sound. Screech lowers the opponent's Defense.

"Poison Sting!" I yell, and Venom shoots a stream of tiny poison darts at Blitzle. Venom lands a direct hit. "Pursuit!" I call, and Venom disappears, reappearing behind Blitzle, landing another direct hit. Blitzle staggers, then goes down.

" _And stay down,_ " Venom hisses, returning to my side.

"Cocky, aren't you?" I ask.

" _Shut up,_ " she hisses. I pick her up and rub her head, then put her back on my shoulder.

Sera returns Blitzle, and throws another Pokéball. This time, it's a Timburr. Timburr pounds the ground with its wooden beam. "You're up next, Leafa," I say, and she crawls down my body to the ground. Timburr towers over her.

"Squish that bug! Rock Throw!" Sera yells. Timburr pulls a rock out of the ground and hurls it at Leafa. Leafa rolls to the side, dodging it.

"Razor Leaf!" I call. Leafa sends razor sharp leaves swirling out of her hood at Timburr.

Timburr smirks, and dodges the leaves. "Low Kick!" commands Sera. Timburr rushes Leafa and kicks her, sending her sprawling. Shit. I should have known a Bug Type wouldn't stand a chance against a Pokémon that knows Rock Type moves. "Rock Throw!" Sera calls, and Leafa is hit by a rock, knocking her out. I should have called her back before she could get hurt. I return Leafa to her Pokéball.

"Selva, you can take care of this," I say, and I set her down.

"Leaf Tornado," I call, and Selva's tail creates a funnel of leaves, and she slams this into Timburr, sending it flying. Sera returns Timburr, and throws another Pokéball, this time sending out a Herdier.

"You won't win this time, my last two Pokémon have trained longer than Timburr and Blitzle. Also, they've evolved," Sera says, a lusty look on her face. I don't think she's right in the head. Is she getting like this because of the battle?

Selva uses Growth twice. "Bite!" Sera yells, eyes wide, face sweaty. Herdier charges Selva, and attempts to Bite her. Selva neatly dodges, and uses Vine Whip, sending Herdier sprawling. "Take Down!" Sera cries, and Herdier recklessly charges Selva, who dodges again, this time using Leaf Tornado to Send Herdier flying, and it faints before it hits the ground. "Bad boy," Sera scolds as she returns Herdier.

Sera throws out her final Pokémon, which is Pignite. Pignite looks to be a bit tired, but if it's not at full strength, then it's Blaze ability will kick in, strengthening its Fire Type moves. "Selva, come back," I call. Selva returns to my side, and Pardin jumps to the ground, ready for battle.

"Flame Charge!" Sera yells, and Pignite's body is engulfed in flames as it charges Pardin. Pardin jumps over the charging Pokémon, and uses Assist, firing Venom's Poison Sting at Pignite's back.

"Arm Thrust!" Sera commands, and Pignite charges at Pardin again, and tries to punch her multiple times, but she dodges every attack.

"Fake Out!" I call, and Pardin claps her paws together in front of Pignite's face, causing it to flinch. "Assist!" I command, and she uses Leafa's String Shot, tying Pignite's arms to its body.

"Flame Charge," Sera calls, and Pignite's body is enveloped in flames again, burning off the string.

"Rollout!" Sera yells, and Pignite curls into a ball and rolls quickly at Pardin. She dodges, but Pignite keeps coming, each time faster and more powerful.

"Assist," I call, and Pardin uses Venom's Protect just as Pignite is about to slam into her. Protect ruins Pignite's momentum, and it goes sprawling. "Pursuit!" I command, and Pardin disappears then reappears several times, each reappearance lashing out at Pignite.

Pignite manages to stand up, but it's shaking. This Pokémon has amazing endurance. We need to finish this quickly so Pignite doesn't suffer for longer than necessary. "Pursuit until it goes down, Pardin," I call, and she disappears and reappears, attacking Pignite until it can't take anymore, and faints. "The battle is over, Sera. You need to treat your Pokémon better. Pignite was not at its full strength. Did you purposefully keep it weakened so its Blaze would activate?" I ask.

Sera returns Pignite, and puts its Pokéball away. She puts her hands on her blushing cheeks and shakes her head, grinning from ear to ear. "That was amazing!" she exclaims, ignoring my question.

"Sera, answer his question," Chuck says. She turns to him, with a disappointed look on her face. She turns back to me, and grins again.

"I did, because I knew it would make the battle more exciting!" she squeals.

I glare at her, shaking in anger. "You care more about battles than you do your own Pokémon?" I ask, voice quivering in rage. She tilts her head to the side, regarding me with an almost curious look.

"Yes, I became a trainer for two reasons: to experience exciting battles and to find big, strong Pokémon to... bond with," she finishes after some hesitation.

"Bond with? If you truly wanted to bond with your Pokémon, you would treat them much better," I spit. Sera shakes her head.

"Poor, innocent Travis; that's not the kind of bonding I'm talking about," she says, sounding disappointed. I realize what she means, and my face flares up, both in anger and embarrassment.

"No Pokémon will want to do... that... with you if you treat them so poorly," I say.

She smiles, and traces her curves. "Boy, do you think any male could resist this?" she asks. I glare at her, and I notice Chuck is looking away, face red with embarrassment. I stomp up to Sera and grab her wrist. I'm so glad nobody is out here to hear this conversation. I pull her with me as I storm to the Pokémon Center. Chuck follows us from a distance, and Selva and Pardin, whom I left behind, follow as well.

When we arrive at the Pokémon Center, I drag Sera up to Nurse Joy. "Now, give your Pokémon to her so she can heal them," I order. Sera does so, but hesitates with the last Pokéball. "Yes, Pignite too," I say. I then hand Leafa's Pokéball to a confused Nurse Joy, and allow her to heal our Pokémon. Selva, Pardin and Chuck catch up with us, and Selva jumps into my arms, startling Venom on my shoulder, who hisses. Pardin jumps into my hood.

Nurse Joy returns our Pokémon, now fully healed. "We'd like two rooms for the night, please," I say to her as I gesture to our group.

"Of course," she says, and hands us two room keys. We walk up the stairs to the rooms. I unlock one, and I walk in, still holding Sera's wrist. Chuck follows us in, confused. "The second room is for you," I say, tossing him the second key. "I need to talk to Sera."

He nods, and leaves, going to his room, which is across the hall. I shove Sera down on the bed, and close the door. "I do like aggressive men, Travis, and if you keep going like this you may just get some," Sera says, smiling seductively. My face is burning in embarrassment. Pardin slaps my cheek, and Selva glares up at me. Sera notices, and her eyes widen.

"Wait, don't tell me..." She trails off, then she clasps her hands in front of her face. "You've already begun to conquer your Pokémons' erogenous regions?" she gasps.

"Shut up," I hiss.

" _You've done_ what?" Venom asks sharply.

"Sera, we need to talk," I say in a forced voice.

"There will be no room for words when your dick is in my mouth," she says, with a hungry look on her face.

"Shut up!" I yell.

"Yes, daddy," she says, laying down on her back, head hanging off the edge of the bed and legs in the air. "I think this would be an interesting position for a blowjob, wouldn't it?" she asks, looking up at me while upside-down.

"Okay, that's it." I grab her shoulders, and force her to sit up. "I'm going to make you see the error of your ways," I say, staring into her eyes.

"Are you going to punish me?" Sera asks, putting a finger to her lips. I shove her away from me.

"Not in the way you're thinking," I say, disgusted but actually kinda turned on by all the sexual things she's been saying. Selva, Pardin, and Venom all sense my arousal, and Venom hisses, Selva slaps my chest, and Pardin claws my cheek. Sera sees my erection through my pants, which are like jeans but not as tight.

"Oh-ho! Look who decided to wake up," she says, and begins to pull up her shirt. Selva uses Vine Whip and grabs her hands, forcing her shirt back down and her hands back to her sides.

"Thanks, Selva," I say gratefully. She just glares up at me.

" _Don't worry, we'll punish him later, but not with mating_ ," Pardin hisses. Selva smiles slightly.

"Aww, is little Snivy jealous? Worried that big, bad, sexy Sera is gonna steal your man?" she asks mockingly, and Selva bristles angrily.

"Bring out your Pokémon. Let me see how you've been treating them," I command, and Sera rushes to comply. She throws her four Pokéballs into the air, releasing Pignite, Herdier, Blitzle, and Timburr. I set Selva and Venom down on the table by the door, and Pardin jumps down. I then open Leafa's Pokéball, and she sits on the table with them.

I kneel in front of Blitzle. "So how has Sera been to you?" I ask softly. He shakes his head, and whinnys nervously.

" _She treats me decently I guess. She is a bit rough when it comes to training though,_ " he says.

"How so?" I ask.

" _She works us very hard._ " I look to Sera's other Pokémon, who nod in confirmation.

"Hard enough that it's cruel, or hard as in disciplined?" I ask.

" _There's a grey area there; she doesn't work us so hard that we're suffering, but it's a lot more than I'd like,_ " Timburr pipes up.

" _If I work really hard, she mates with me,_ " Pignite says suddenly.

" _She promised us that when we work hard and evolve, she'll mate with us, too,_ " Herider barks.

" _But if we don't work hard enough, she doesn't heal us,_ " Pignite says quietly, shuffling his feet.

"That's so fucked up. Both the promise of a sexual reward and the punishment..." I say.

"What's going on? What are they saying? Can you understand them?" Sera asks.

I stand up and turn to face her. "Are you seriously promising your Pokémon sex if they work hard enough?" I ask. She shrugs.

"I said I like big and strong Pokémon, didn't I?" she asks.

"The promise of such a reward is cruel. If you continue with this, your Pokémon will become sex-crazed goons that can barely think for themselves. You should bond with your Pokémon by befriending them first, then, if you really want to, with your Pokémons' consent, move on from there." Sera crosses her arms, pouting. I don't think I'm getting through to her.

Then, a crazy idea hits me. I look at Pardin and Selva, who are glaring at me. I sigh, and rub the back of my head. "If you can prove to me that you're befriending your Pokémon, and not just promising sex for training..." I pause. Am I really going to offer her this? It seems counter intuitive, and frankly, hypocritical... "I'll have sex with you," I finish.

" _Travis_!" Pardin and Selva gasp, and Sera's eyes light up.

"I promise I'll befriend my Pokémon and stop offering sex for training," she says instantly. This feels like it's too easy... "Maybe a blowjob to seal the deal?" she asks hopefully.

"Don't push it," I say adamantly.

"Handjob?"

"Sera..." I say, a warning in my tone.

"Okay, okay, I get it," she says, putting her hands up. "Handshake?" she asks, holding out a hand.

"Fine," I sigh, and we shake hands, sealing the deal.

I walk to the table, and Selva and Pardin gawp up at me. "I'm sorry, but I think that's the only thing I can offer her to get her to do the right thing," I say apologetically. Pardin jumps into my hood, Selva into my arms, and Venom and Leafa onto my shoulders. I toss Sera the room key, and leave her with her Pokémon in the room. I walk downstairs and walk up to Nurse Joy. "If it's not too much trouble, may I have another room?" I ask her.

Nurse Joy bows. "It's no trouble at all. There isn't a large number of trainers rooming here," she says, handing me another room key.

"Thanks. Sorry, my friend and I had a disagreement," I say, and walk back up the stairs to the new room. My Pokémon all choose their places of preferred sleeping around the room, and I take my pants and jacket off, throwing them on the floor with my bag, and flop down on the bed. I have trouble falling asleep.


	14. Chapter 14: Hotel Punishment

**Chapter 14: Hotel Punishment**

I wake up to find all my Pokémon standing on my bed, staring at me. I yelp in surprise, almost knocking them off. "Don't do that," I scold, "it startles me."

" _Sorry, we were just really impatient because you sleep like a log_ ," Pardin says.

" _We want to get going now, so get your lazy ass out of bed and let's gooooo_!" Selva squeals.

"Fine," I groan, and my Pokémon all scramble off me as I swing my legs off the bed and stand up. "So we go to Castelia City next, huh?" I ask groggily, yawning into my hand.

" _Yup,_ " Leafa chirps.

" _Just get ready so we can leave already,_ " Venom hisses.

"Alright," I say as I put on my pants and jacket, "let's get going!" Pardin jumps into my hood, Venom and Leafa crawl onto my shoulders, and I pick up Selva. We're ready to go. We exit the Pokémon Center after returning our room key to Nurse Joy, and walk across town to Pinwheel Forest, where there is the main road to Castelia City.

The walk through Pinwheel Forest takes about an hour. Once we leave the cover of the trees, we see Skyarrow Bridge, and on the other side are the towering skyscrapers of Castelia City. The sight fills me with awe. I hate being among big buildings, but the sight of them from far away is breathtaking. Suddenly, I hear a rustling in the forest behind me. I turn around, but the rustling has stopped, and I can't see any movement.

"You heard that too, right guys?" I ask.

" _Of course we did_ ," Pardin says smugly, " _if your pitiful human senses can hear that, then we definitely can_."

Selva, Venom and Leafa laugh. I blush, but the blush disappears when I see movement and hear the rustling again. There is something there. And it's big.

"Do we go in?" I ask quietly.

" _Don't bother_ ," Selva says. " _If a Pokémon that big can move that gracefully without us seeing it, then it can definitely take us out without much trouble_."

"That's probably true," I say.

" _Let's just go,_ " Venom hisses.

" _Yeah_! _I want to go see those giant things up close_!" Leafa squeals.

"You're adorable," I say fondly, and I turn around and walk to the entrance of Skyarrow Bridge.

 _A large set of eyes watch Travis as he and his Pokémon walk onto the bridge and eventually out of sight. Then, the eyes and the body they're attached to disappear and bound gracefully back into the depths of Pinwheel Forest._

The walk across the bridge takes longer than expected because my Pokémon keep wanting to look over the edge at the cars on the lower deck of the bridge. Skyarrow Bridge has two layers: one on the bottom for cars and other such vehicles and one on the top for those on foot. As adorable as it is to see their innocent curiosity, it takes much longer than I wanted to get to Castelia City.

At the gate to Castelia City, my Pokémon all stare in awe at the giant buildings towering above us. All I want is to get to the Pokémon Center and take a break. That was a whole lot of walking. Suddenly, I hear someone behind me clear their throat.

"Travis I presume?" a man's voice asks. I spin around, nearly dislodging Venom and Leafa from my shoulders. I'm faced with a short, plump man, with a nearly bald head and a bushy mustache decorating his upper lip. He's also wearing a black suit and tie.

"I am Travis, yeah..." I say nervously. How does this man know my name?

"Gym Leader Burgh asked me to wait for you here and escort you to the hotel room he's reserved for you," the man says, mustache quivering.

"Hotel room? Why would Burgh get me a hotel room?" I ask.

The man shrugs. "I do not know. I only know that he asked me to look out for a boy with a description like yours named Travis. He also described the Pokémon you'd have with you." He peers critically at my Pokémon.

"You all seem to fit the description quite nicely, I'd say," he says, and he turns and leads me into the forest of skyscrapers. It's probably not a good idea to reject Burgh's hospitality. He went to the trouble of getting me a hotel room. And besides, surely it's better than the rooms at the Pokémon Center.

"Here we are," the man says as we stop in front of a huge building.

"Is this the tallest building in Castelia City?" I ask, looking up. Way, way up.

The man laughs. "Of course not! There are plenty of larger building. There are plenty more larger and more expensive hotels, too, but this one has been dubbed Burgh's favorite. He furnished the interior with his own artwork."

Lenora did mention something about artist's block...

"And so, welcome to Hotel Arte!" he exclaims, and leads me in the automatic doors into the temperature-controlled environment of an upscale hotel. The staff in the lobby bow to me as I pass by. This is making me uncomfortable. Sensing my discomfort, Pardin licks my cheek, Selva nuzzles my chest, and Leafa and Venom nuzzle my neck. I manage a small smile. It's good to know my friends will always be there to support and comfort me. I'll make sure I can do the same for them.

The man walks straight up to the front desk, and says something to the woman behind it. She nods, smiles, and hands the man something. The man turns to me, and holds up an envelope, the color of deep honey, sealed with red wax.

"Follow me," he says, and walks briskly towards an elevator. I then notice the paintings on the walls. They are all natural scenes, landscapes, bug Pokémon, bug Pokémon in landscapes, all kinds of things. The man presses a button on the elevator, and waits. A few seconds later, the button makes a dinging sound, and the doors open with a smooth swish.

"Your room is on the one fiftieth floor," the man says, and presses a button with the number fifty on it. The elevator begins to slowly ascend.

"How long will the ride take?" I ask.

"Oh, not long at all. This elevator is known for being one of the fastest in Unova. The ride will take one minute at most to reach most floors."

Suddenly, the elevator stops, and the door opens.

"Now arriving on the fiftieth floor," says a cool, monotone female voice.

The man leads me down a long hallway, and stops in front of a room with a gold plate on the door; Room #57.

"Here is your room, sir," the man says, and he opens the envelope, producing a key card, and presses it to the scanner screen next to the door. A light in the center of the doorknob lights up green, and a clicking sound is heard from within the door. The man turns the doorknob, and opens the door, revealing a much larger room than I'm used to, and he leads me inside.

"The room has a bed, bathroom, balcony, minibar, and of course, Gym Leader Burgh's unique artwork," the man says, gesturing to a huge painting on the wall over the giant bed. My Pokémon and I gape at the size of everything. The man hands me the key card, and bows deeply.

"I hope you enjoy your stay," he says, and exits the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door shuts, my Pokémon leap off me and explore the room. I immediately flop onto the bed, which, despite its enormous size, has a comfortable firmness to it. I lay there for a few minutes, just staring at the ceiling, letting my body rest. I'll need to thank Burgh for this. Thank him profusely.

I then feel little feet on my stomach. I look up to see Pardin smirking at me. " _You know what we could do in a bed this big_?" she asks. I grin back at her.

" _Don't get any ideas,_ " Selva says, as she appears over the side of the bed. " _We need to punish him for the deal he made with Sera_." Pardin scowls.

" _Well now you've ruined the surprise,_ " she says. Selva blushes.

" _Oh. Sorry..._ " she says meekly. Well, Selva is brutally honest and not nearly as manipulative as Pardin can be. I sigh.

"Well, what do we do now?" I ask.

" _Explore the hotel_!" Leafa exclaims.

" _Stay here and definitely not punish you for the deal you made with Sera,_ " Selva says.

" _Go kick Burgh's ass,_ " Venom hisses.

"Well, why don't we relax here for today. Tomorrow, we will go battle Burgh. I'm sorry Leafa, this hotel is much too big to explore. And besides, much of the space is private rooms, so we can't explore those anyway," I say.

Leafa pouts cutely, and Venom settles on a potted plant in the corner with a satisfied hiss. Leafa soon joins her, and the two of them doze off. Pardin and Selva explore the minibar, and I get up and go to the bathroom. I think that we'll stay in for the rest of the day, so I'll probably take a shower then a nap. The bathroom door opens, and I spin around, and face Selva, who looks around guiltily.

" _Uhh... definitely not trying to punish you,_ " she says unconvincingly.

"Mm-hm," I say, and I gently escort Selva out of the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Later that evening, after a refreshing shower and nap, I retire to bed, as do my Pokémon. I lay in the center of the giant bed, with Pardin settled on the fluffy carpet, Selva on the side table, and Venom and Leafa in the potted plant.

I wake up, and lay awake, wondering what woke me up. I roll off the bed and stand up. I walk to the bathroom and turn on the lights; I'm temporarily blinded. I use the bathroom, and wash my hands. I look up into the mirror, and see movement behind me. I spin around, not seeing anything. I shiver. This is why I don't walk around at night. It's spooky as fuck. I turn to the door, and I see Pardin standing on the bathroom counter. I yelp in surprise. I hold my hand to my chest, and feel the rapid thumping of my heart.

"Holy shit, you scared me," I gasp.

" _I know,_ " Pardin smirks at me.

"So why are you awake?" I ask.

" _I'm somewhat nocturnal. I enjoy night prowling_ ," she replies.

"Ah. That makes sense," I say. "Well, I'm going back to bed. You can do whatever." I yawn, and walk to the bathroom door.

" _Don't get tied up somewhere,_ " Pardin says, still smirking.

I stare at her, confused, my hand on the doorknob. What the hell does that mean? I turn the doorknob and open the door, and walk into the darkness of the hotel room. Suddenly, something whips out of the darkness and wraps itself around my wrist. Oh no.

Another tendril wraps around my ankle. The one around my ankle pulls, and I fall heavily onto my side.

"Oof!" I gasp. The tendril around my ankle lets go and I find myself gagged.

"Mmh!" I groan in protest. The tendril around my wrist finds my other wrist and ties them together. I feel a familiar shape climb onto my shoulder.

" _Hello,_ " Selva whispers huskily in my ear. I shudder.

" _Welcome to your punishment_ ," Pardin whispers, suddenly standing right in front of me.

" _Let's turn him over, Pardin_ ," Selva whispers. Pardin and Selva work together and turn me over onto my back.

" _Please pull down his pants_ ," Selva gasps lustily.

Pardin hooks her paws around my waistband and pulls my pants down. She then pulls down my underwear, and holds my dick up. Selva crawls down my body and stands between my legs. She licks my dick, and puts her mouth over it. While Selva sucks my dick, Pardin sits on my face, forcing my mouth onto her lower mouth. She aggressively grinds her pussy into my mouth, and Selva sucks my dick, taking me nearly to climax.

Suddenly, as I'm about to cum, part of Selva's Vine Whip wraps around my dick, abruptly ending the pleasure and cutting off the ejaculation. I whine through the Vine Whip in my mouth.

" _Oh no, we can't let you cum just yet_ ," Selva murmurs. " _This is your punishment_."

So this was their idea for punishment? Sexual torture? This is so not cool...

" _So, what do we do next_?" Selva asks. Pardin mews loudly as she cums on my face.

" _You know, I never really thought about what else we'd do besides keep him from cumming_ ," Pardin says, climbing off my face.

Seriously? That's all they could come up with?

" _I guess we just play with him a bit more_?" Selva suggests.

" _Okay, hop on_ ," Pardin says, and I feel Selva climb onto my dick, making it hard by rubbing it with her pussy. She then sticks it inside her, and she gasps in pleasure. She moves up and down, but while it's certainly pleasurable, it also hurts because I can't cum.

This continues for what feels like a long time. Pardin and Selva take turns with me but Selva's Vine Whip makes it so I can't cum.

" _Wanna try a new position_?" Pardin asks.

" _Sure_!" Selva replies. My dick hurts...

" _Get him on his knees_ ," Pardin says. Selva maneuvers her Vine Whip and drags me onto my knees. She then grabs my dick and shoves it in her mouth. I groan through the Vine Whip, and I glare into the darkness at Selva and Pardin's shapes.

I then grab Selva with my knees and fuck her mouth to the best of my ability. However, after about ten seconds, she squirms free and gives my dick a hard squeeze with her Vine Whip. I whimper.

" _Oh listen, Pardin. He's desperate_ ," Selva giggles sadistically. Pardin giggles as well.

" _This is what happens when you offer someone like Sera sex_ ," Pardin says.

I walk on my knees over to Selva's shape. I prod her face with my dick, whining with need.

" _How cute_ ," Selva says, and she strokes my dick with her Vine Whip. I keep prodding her face until she relents and opens her mouth. I hump her mouth helplessly, knowing that I won't get to cum, but relishing the temporary pleasure anyway.

" _Stop hogging him, Selva,_ " Pardin mewls. She grabs my dick and lets me fuck her mouth as well. I moan through the Vine Whip, but the Vine Whip around my dick prevents me from cumming, and I fall backwards. I lay on my back, tired and in pain, and very angry.

" _You think we've done enough_?" Selva asks.

 _"I'd say so_ ," Pardin says, sounding satisfied. This is far from over. I will cum, even if it kills me. Selva loosens her Vine Whip slightly, and I take full advantage of it. I wrestle myself loose, and grab Selva and Pardin, holding them down. I'm now free, and I have my tormentors trapped. Selva tries to use Vine Whip again, but I grab it and tie her and Pardin up with it, tying a tight knot so Selva can't retract it.

"Oh, you girls fucked up," I say huskily. "You got me all riled up, and now I can't promise this won't hurt." I grab Selva first, because she was the primary tormentor. I stick my dick inside her and fuck her hard and fast. She screams, but I stick the end of one of her Vine Whips into her mouth, muffling her. Finally, I can cum. I give a mighty thrust and cum inside Selva, and she screams loud and long, despite the Vine Whip in her mouth.

I then grab Pardin, who is shaking with either anticipation or fear. I fuck her hard and fast as well. She manages to keep quiet, but occasionally whimpers or moans quietly. I cum inside her as well, then I collapse on my side next to them, mind decently clear and dick sore.

"Let's never do this again," I say hoarsely.

" _Agreed_ ," Pardin gasps for breath.

" _We'll find a different way to punish you if you do something like this again_ ," Selva whispers.

"Don't you dare," I say, laughing quietly.

" _What the hell is going on over there_?" Venom hisses.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," I say.


	15. Chapter 15: Castelia Gym

**Chapter 15: Castelia Gym**

The next morning, I wake up on the floor. For a few seconds, I'm very confused. Then I remember last night, and I shudder at the memory. I get up, and stagger to the bathroom, making sure not to step on Selva or Pardin, who also fell asleep on the floor.

I guess today is the day we battle Burgh. We don't have anything else to do. And he was nice enough to get us this hotel room, the least we can do is give him a good battle.

" _You'd better not be sore from last night_ ," Pardin says, appearing suddenly on the bathroom counter.

I jump in surprise. "Don't do that!" I say. Pardin just purrs, amused.

" _Are we going to battle Burgh today_?" Pardin asks.

I nod. "Yup. We should thank him for this amazing hotel room with an amazing battle!"

" _Well I suppose I can make it as amazing a battle as I can..._ " Pardin says, sounding uncertain.

"Pardin..." I say, and she grins.

" _I know, I'm just kidding. Let's wake up the others and go_!" she exclaims. We exit the bathroom and I pick up Selva, who stirs in my arms. Pardin shakes awake Venom and Leafa. We get ready to go, and we exit the room, taking the elevator to the ground floor. We leave the hotel and navigate our way through Castelia City until we find the Gym. I'm about to enter the building when the door opens and Sera walks out, and we nearly collide.

"So, you finally made it, huh?" Sera asks, hands on her hips. "When did you leave Nacrene City? I got here and wiped the floor with Burgh already!"

"Nice to see you too, Sera," I reply pleasantly. Suddenly, the Gym door opens again and Burgh steps out.

"Oh, Travis! Good to see you made it. Are you enjoying the hotel room I prepared for you?" he asks.

"I am, thank you so much," I reply.

"Don't mention it. I wanted to thank you in a special way for assisting in the recovery of Lenora's precious skull," Burgh says.

"I just wanted to thank you with an amazing battle!" I say.

"That's great, but I've received word that Team Plasma has been spotted at Prime Pier, so would you two please come with me and give assistance?" Burgh asks.

"Sure," I say.

"I have nothing better to do," Sera shrugs.

"Wonderful. Let us go." Burgh leads us towards Castelia City's enormous harbor to a specific pier, where I see Chuck and a small girl with a fierce look on her face. Her hair is very long and dark purple. Why do so many people in this region dye their hair?!

"Travis!" Chuck cries. We then get close enough to see Chuck's tear-stained cheeks. Oh no, what happened?

"What happened? Was Team Plasma here?" Burgh asks.

"They were, and they stole this poor boy's Pokémon!" the purple haired girl says, her thick eyebrows lowering.

"Good to see you again, Iris," Burgh says. "What brings you to my humble city?"

"This is hardly a time for small talk, Burgh. I was exploring the Unova Region, if you must know," Iris replies.

"Oh!" a startled voice gasps from behind us. I spin around to see a Team Plasma grunt.

"Fuck, I thought now would be a good time to come back and snag another Pokémon from that weak kid, but it appears that he has powerful company. I should get out of here!" she says and runs away.

"After her!" Iris yells, and the five of us sprint through the crowded streets after the woman, Venom and Leafa bouncing on my shoulders and holding on for dear life. Despite the crowd, with all of us working together, we manage to follow the woman into a building across from the Gym. Before we make it in the door, however, a group of six Team Plasma grunts blocks our path.

"Get them!" yells one, and they all throw Pokéballs, releasing their Pokémon, which consist of two Patrats, a Purrloin, a weird humanoid lizard-looking thing, and a small brown crocodilian. I look in my book to see what they are, and discover that they are called Scraggy and Sandile, in that order.

"Step back, I've got this!" Sera calls. She walks to the front of the group and turns and winks at me, making Selva and Pardin bristle.

"You'll see, Travis. I've been building my friendships with my Pokémon. You'll see, after this I'll be taking my reward!" she says excitedly. She turns back to the grunts and their Pokémon, and tosses a Pokéball into the air. The light that explodes from the ball forms a giant figure, before fading into a giant pig with enormous arms and a fiery mane.

"Emboooaar!" it roars.

"Emboar, Flamethrower!" Sera calls, and Emboar breathes a stream of powerful flames, torching the grunts' Pokémon and the front of the building. The opposing Pokémon are instantly knocked out, and the grunts return them and retreat into the building.

"Let's go!" Sera turns back to us, her eyes glistening with savage glee. She loves battles way too much. We follow her as she and Emboar charge into the building. We are met with a larger group of grunts, a white-haired man and the man from Accumula Town, Ghetsis.

I glare at Ghetsis. He starts to speak, but I cut him off.

"I've had enough of your speeches and your bullshit!" I snarl. "Now hand over the Pokémon you stole!" Sera and Emboar stand next to me intimidatingly. Ghetsis shrugs.

"Very well, return the Pokémon," he orders. The grunts part and they let a Munna float through them. The Munna squeals and floats quickly over to Chuck, who yells in joy and embraces his Pokémon.

"We'll be taking our leave now. How pathetic it is, to have our base right across from the Gym and not to be discovered for the longest time," Ghetsis says with disdain. The grunts throw another smokescreen, and when it dissipates, they're gone.

"Assholes, they make me want to scream," I growl to myself. My Pokémon voice their agreement.

"Well, with that crisis out of the way, would you like to have your Gym battle now, Travis?" Burgh asks.

"Yes, please," I reply. I need something to take my mind off Team Plasma.

Burgh leads the way across the street and into the Gym. The first thing I notice is that the each of the walls has more of Burgh's artwork on them. Burgh leads us to the back of the Gym, where a battlefield is waiting. He stands at one end and I at the other.

"How about a triple battle, Travis? It is a battle style that was recently added to the Pokémon League," Burgh suggests. I shrug.

"Sure," I reply. Pardin makes to leap from my hood, but I stop her. "Pardin, would you mind if I gave Venom and Leafa a chance to battle? And you've had the most experience here," I say.

" _But that's why I should be the one to battle_!" Pardin protests. " _I'm the strongest_! _This is a Gym Leader we're fighting here_!"

"I know," I reply. "But I want to give Leafa a chance at redemption, and Venom needs more experience. And Selva is itching to battle again, I can tell," I smile at Selva, who is shivering in anticipation in my arms.

" _Fine_ ," Pardin relents. I thank her and set Selva, Leafa, and Venom onto the ground. Burgh smiles, and throws three Pokéballs into the air. The Pokémon released are the ones I've seen Burgh use previously; Leavanny, Whirlipede, and Dwebble.

The Pokémon stare at each other from across the field.

"You'd better not lose, Travis!" Sera yells. "I'll lose all respect for you if you do!"

"Battle begin!" the referee calls.

"Leavanny, Razor Leaf. Whirlipede, Poison Tail. Dwebble, Smack Down," Burgh calls. His Pokémon comply instantly, Leavanny shooting leaves, Dwebble shooting rocks, and Whirlipede rolling towards my Pokémon. The leaves are about to hit, and Selva neatly dodges them, while Leafa and Venom barely evade. Selva dodges the rocks as well, and there are more close calls as Leafa and Venom are nearly flattened by the rocks.

Whirlipede rolls at Selva, but she dodges, and sends a Leaf Tornado after the spinning Pokémon. It connects, but since Whirlipede is a bug and poison type, it barely does any damage. I'm not sure we can win here. Selva is at a type disadvantage, and Leafa and Venom are too weak to hold up against Burgh's Pokémon. Maybe I should have let Pardin battle… I shake my head. No, I must trust in my friends.

"Venom, Screech!" I command. She complies, her screeching making Burgh's Pokémon grimace, lowering their defense. "Now Poison Sting!" I call. "Leafa, String Shot, and Selva, Growth!" My friends all do as commanded, and Burgh's Dwebble is directly hit by Poison Sting. Whirlipede is tied up by String Shot, and Selva's attacking stats are raised.

"Leavanny, Struggle Bug!" Burgh calls. Leavanny's body vibrates rapidly, and green particles fly off it, shooting at Selva, who doesn't have a chance to dodge, and she gets hit by the super-effective green pellets.  
"No!" I cry as Selva goes down.  
"Poison Tail! Faint Attack!" Burgh calls, and Whirlipede rolls at a high speed at Leafa, and she doesn't have time to evade, and she goes flying. This battle is falling apart. Dwebble disappears and reappears behind Venom, and it hits her hard, sending her sprawling.

Burgh's Pokémon reassemble on his side of the field. My friends are all on the ground, Selva and Venom struggling to get up.

"No…" I whisper. Pardin mewls sadly.

"Don't give up! We can do this!" I barely hear myself scream. Leafa, Venom, and Selva all look at me weakly, then turn back to glare at the opposing Pokémon. Suddenly, the three of them start glowing, and their glowing forms grow. When the glowing fades, three new Pokémon are standing there.

Selva has grown taller, and her arms have shrunk. Her tail is longer and she has leaf-like crests on her back. Venom looks exactly like the Whirlipede on the other side of the field. She's a cloudy purple/gray color and tire-shaped, with spines and lighter purple circles on her "treads". Yellow eyes in the center blink lazily. Leafa has grown more rotund; her body is wrapped in a large leaf like a shawl, her cute face replaced by a serious expression.

"Amazing!" Burgh cries. "Your Pokémon responded to your feelings with evolution! I must paint! But," he pauses, a look of determination in his eyes, "I need to finish this battle first."

"Poison Tail!" we yell at the same time, and Whirlipede and Venom roll towards and crash into each other.

"Smack Down!" Burgh calls, and Dwebble shoots rocks at Leafa, who uses String Shot to grapple away to the ceiling, launching Razor Leaf down at Dwebble, which connects.

"Leaf Tornado!" I call, and Selva hurls a vortex of leaves at Leavanny, who dodges gracefully, and responds with Razor Leaf.

"Selva, try and get close!" I call. Selva dodges around the leaves and launches herself at Leavanny, who jumps backwards.

"Vine Whip!" I yell, and Selva reaches for Leavanny, who just barely dodges.

I should try to get Leavanny by itself. Somehow, I have to defeat Dwebble and Whirlipede and avoid Leavanny at the same time.

"Venom, Poison Tail!" Venom rolls towards Leavanny, who leaps aside. "Now! Leaf Tornado on Dwebble!" I call to Selva. Selva launches the attack, and Dwebble gets caught up in the vortex. Dwebble falls to the ground, fainted.

"Now for the Whirpipede. Leafa, String Shot!" I call. Leafa shoots her string at Whirlipede, who spins rapidly and rolls away. "Keep going!" I yell, and Leafa continues to attempt to ensnare Whirlipede. Eventually, there is so much string on the field that Whirlipede is unable to move.

"Cut through that String Shot! Razor Leaf!" Burgh calls, and Leavanny launches a flurry of leaves at the string.

"Venom! Block the leaves!" I call, "Protect!" Venom rolls in front of the incoming attack and creates a barrier, the leaves bouncing off harmlessly.

"Now, finish off Whirlipede!" I yell. Selva leaps at the defenseless Pokémon, wrapping herself around it, and squeezing.

"Screech!" Burgh calls, and Whirlipede unleashes a high pitched screeching noise, buffeting my friends with the sound waves, and lowering their defense. Sevla gets it the worst, because she's right up next to it.

"Leafa, Bug Bite!" I call, and Leafa nibbles at Whirlipede, dealing small damage. How am I supposed to defeat this thing? Nothing I have is effective!

"Come on, we can do this!" I yell. Venom, Leafa, and Selva look at me, then to each other. Leafa and Venom change places, and Selva distracts Leavanny with Vine Whip. Venom rolls at the other Whirlipede, building up speed, and smashing into it, knocking it out of the string shot. Venom continues bashing Whirlipede around, rolling faster and faster, hitting it again and again, until it finally falls to its side, fainted.

I now know how to win. "Selva! Jump off of Venom as she rolls!" I call. Venom rolls towards Leavanny and Selva, and Sleva jumps onto Venom, and flies off towards Leavanny. Leafa uses String Shot to accelerate towards Leavanny, and launches Razor Leaf. Selva flies at Leavanny, who steps to the side, and gets the wind knocked out of it as Venom smashes into it. Leafa's Razor Leaf hits next, doing little damage.

"Leaf Tornado!" I yell as Selva corrects herself in midair and turns towards Leavanny, launching a huge vortex of leaves at it. The leaves catch another Razor Leaf from Leafa, and take up Venom's rolling body. The combined attack hits the stunned Leavanny, and it screams as it flies across the battlefield inside the tornado. The attack hits the wall, and dissipates, dropping Venom and a fainted Leavanny to the ground.

"Leavanny, Dwebble, and Whirlipede are unable to battle; Travis wins!" the ref calls, and Chuck and Sera cheer. Pardin licks my cheek, and my friends who won the battle all rush at me, and I'm knocked to the floor, buried in Pokémon.

I laugh and hug as much as I can. Sera, Chuck, and Burgh walk over to my pile, and Burgh rescues me, pulling my arm and helping me to stand with Selva, Pardin, and Leafa clinging to me. I rest one hand on Venom's circular body and shake Burgh's hand.

"Wonderful battling!" Burgh exclaims, grasping my hand and shaking it excitedly. "You are indeed worthy of the Insect Badge!" He lets go of my hand and hands me a green and gold badge that looks like an insect's wing. My friends cheer and I put the badge away, grinning widely.

"Now hurry up and heal your Pokémon so you can battle me!" Sera exclaims. Pardin and Selva glare at her, and I sigh.

"They just had an intense battle, Sera, can't you give them a rest?" I ask.

" _Oh, please, I can take her on anytime, anywhere_ ," Selva snorts.

" _Let's show her what we can do_!" Pardin hisses.

"Fine, but we need to heal first," I say.


	16. Chapter 16: Collection

**Chapter 16: Collection**

After a visit to the Pokémon Center, Sera and I take our places on opposite sides of the battlefield in Burgh's gym, which he graciously let us use.

"I will serve as referee for this match," Burgh says. "The battle will be three versus three. Are the battlers ready?"

"Fuck yeah!" Sera exclaims, a look of battle-lust in her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever," I answer.

"Then let the battle begin!" Burgh yells.

Sera takes out a Pokéball and licks it. "Let's kick some ass, Gurdurr!" she yells, and throws the Pokéball. In a flash of light, a stocky pokemon appears. It has gray skin and huge pink veins popping from its bulging muscles, and it slams a steel beam to the ground and glares menacingly at me and my team.

"Okay, so Timburr evolved," I mutter. "How do you feel about this one, Selva?" I ask.

" _Let me at 'em_ ," she hisses.

"As you wish," I say, and Selva slithers onto the field.

"I'll give you a handicap," Sera calls to me, "I won't use Emboar, because I know that he'll obliterate your cute little team."

I grit my teeth. "Do as you see fit," I say, trying to sound calm.

"Gurdurr, let's finish this quickly! Use Rock Slide!" Sera yells. Gurdurr rips chunks of stone from the ground and they all soar towards Selva. She dodges, narrowly avoiding being buried alive in a tomb of rocks.

"Let's go! Use Leaf Tornado!" I counter-attack. Selva spins and launches her attack, which swirls around the rocks loose on the battlefield, and enveloping Gurdurr in a vortex of stone and leaves. When the tornado disappears, somehow Gurdurr is still strong enough to stand and fight.

"Good boy," Sera purrs, and Gurdurr flexes its muscles. "Now, Bulk up!" Gurdurr flexes again, and its muscles double in size.

"Growth!" I call, and Selva raises her attacking stats as well.

"Get close! Chip Away!" Sera yells. Gurdurr charges Selva, swinging its beam.

"Use Vine Whip and throw it away!" I order, and Selva tosses Gurdurr across the room, slamming it into the wall. "Finish it with another Leaf Tornado!" The vortex of leaves sucks Gurdurr in, and it falls to the floor, fainted.

"Damn," Sera hisses as she returns her downed Pokémon. She takes out another Pokeball and throws it, this time letting out a giant hairy dog with mustache. It barks, a loud, deep bark.

"Come on, Stoutland, devour that snake!" Sera yells, visible agitated. "Crunch!"

Stoutland barks again and charges at Selva, and tried to bite her, but she evades.

"Shit! Too slow!" Sera growls. "Stoutland, return!" She takes out another Pokéball and throws it. This time, Blitzle shows up, pawing the ground.

"Flame Charge!" Sera yells, and Blitzle bursts into flames. It runs at Selva, much faster than Stoutland. Selva barely manages to dodge. Sera glares at Blitzle.

"Quick Attack!" she orders, and Blitzle glows with white light. It dashes at Selva, and slams into her before she can move.

"Yes!" Sera cheers. "Now, get close with Quick Attack and hit with Flame Charge!"

Blitzle glows again and rushes Selva, bursting into flames just before it hits her, and Selva falls, screaming.

"Again!" Sera yells, her eyes wild. Blitzle hits Selva with another Flame Charge, and she faints.

"No!" I shout, and run to her. I stroke her cheek, and return her to her Pokéball. I return to my side of the field and glare across at a gloating Sera. "Let's do this, Pardin," I murmur. Pardin mews and leaps to the ground, stalking onto the field.

"Quick attack!" Sera yells.

"Pursuit!" I counter. Pardin disappears before Blitzle can hit her, and she attacks from different angles each time she reappears.

"Thunder Wave!" Sera orders just as Pardin appears to attack again. Blitzle lets out a weak electric shock, and it hits Pardin, who falls to the ground, paralyzed. Pardin manages to stand up, but electricity crackles across her fur.

"Fake Out!" I call, desperate. Pardin claps her paws in front of Blitzle's face, making it flinch.

"Flame Charge!" Sera yells, and Blitzle crashes into Pardin. Pardin goes flying, landing heavily, mewling weakly.  
Pardin, return!" I call, and try to put her into her Pokéball, but she rolls away from the Pokéball's beam.

" _I refuse to retreat_ ," she hisses.

"Get the kitty! Flame Charge!" Sera yells, and Blitzle slams into Pardin again, and she faints. I return her to her Pokéball, gritting my teeth.

"Okay, let's go, Venom!" I yell, throwing Venom's Pokéball. Since Venom is preparing for evolution, she only moves while battling to avoid using excess energy. To help her conserve energy, I keep her in her Pokéball.

"A bug?" Sera scoffs "Flame Charge!" Blitzle rushes Venom while covered in flames.

"Protect!" I call, and a blue dome of energy surrounds her, and Blitzle slams into it.

"Now Rollout!" Venom spins rapidly and slams into Blitzle from close range, knocking it across the room. "Again!" I call, and she hits it until its unable to battle.

Sera tsks and returns Blitzle. "Come on out, Stoutland, let's finish this!" she yells. Stoutland makes another appearance, barking its low bark. "Work up!" Sera calls. Stoutland glows with a red aura and barks again.

"Now Crunch!" Sera orders. Stoutland runs at the slower Pokémon, biting down on her.

"Rollout!" I call, and Venom spins in Stoutland's mouth, causing it to let go with a whimper. Venom then slams into Stoutland, and it yips, recoiling backwards.

"Take Down!" Sera yells, and Stoutland slams into Venom, taking recoil damage.

"Poison Tail!" I call, and Venom rolls into Stoutland close range.

"Crunch!" Sera orders, and Stoutland bites down on Venom again.

"Screech!" I yell, and Venom lets out a piercing screech, making Stoutland drop her and scratch at its ears as its defense lowers. "Rollout!" I call, and Venom rolls into Stoutland again, and Stoutland falls to the ground.

"Get up, damn you!" Sera snarls. Stoutland barks weakly and stands up shakily. "Now, Work Up and Crunch again!"

Stoutland glows red again, and bites down on Venom once more, and Venom falls down on her side.

"Shit!" I whisper to myself and Leafa.

"Whirlipede is unable to battle. Sera wins!" Burgh calls. A look of surprise crosses Sera's face before she screams with joy.

"I've finally beaten you!" she shrieks, but I'm too busy returning Venom and turning to exit the gym. I heal my fallen comrades at the Pokémon center, and I let Selva and Pardin out of their Pokéballs. Pardin and Selva cuddle up to me sadly.

" _I'm sorry we lost_ ," Pardin whimpers.

"Don't worry, it's going to happen sometimes," I say. "We can't win every time."

The door to the Pokémon center opens and Burgh walks in.

"Ah, there you are," he says. "We were so occupied with keeping Sera from stripping down and having sex with her Pokémon in the middle of the gym we didn't see you leave." His lip curls with distaste.

"Yeah, my girls take first priority," I say, and Pardin retreats into my hood. Selva sits in my lap, about a foot taller than she used to be, and a bit heavier now as well. I think she should start walking instead of me carrying her.

"Well I'm glad to see that they're alright," Burgh says, smiling warmly.

"Thank you."

"So how long will you be staying in Castelia City?" he inquires.

"Um, I guess at most, three more nights," I answer.

"Do you have business here?" Burgh asks.

"No, I just think it would be a good idea to take advantage of that hotel room and get some well-deserved rest," I grin.

"Indeed." Burgh grins as well. "I'll leave you to that then," he says, and waves goodbye.

"Let's go back to the hotel," I whisper, and Pardin mewls, rubbing my cheek with hers. Selva reaches for my arms, but I hold them away from her. "You've gotten bigger, Selva, I want to see if you can walk on your own from now on." Selva pouts, crossing her arms. I stand up, and Selva follows me as I walk out the door. I look back at her to see her glaring at Leafa.

"It's not your fault that you're bigger, and it's not Leafa's fault that she didn't grow much after evolving," I scold her. "I just think that since you nearly doubled in size that it would be bad for us if I kept carrying you. And besides, you're able to evolve again, and then I'll definitely not be able to carry you."

Selva scoffs and continues to pout. On the way out of the Pokémon center we run into Sera, who grins widely when she sees me.

"Oh, hello there," she says cheerfully. Selva sneers at her, Pardin hisses quietly, and Leafa looks uncomfortable. Sera grabs my arm and pulls me with her into the Pokémon center. Selva follows reluctantly.

"What do you want?" I ask. Sera heals her Pokémon and turns back to me.

"I want you to talk with my Pokémon again and see how much better I've been treating them," she answers. She brings out four Pokéballs and releases her Pokémon. I sigh, and start with Emboar.

"How have you been treated since we've talked last?" I ask. Emboar cracks his knuckles, and smirks.

" _She doesn't treat us badly anymore. She only mates with us when she wants to, not as a reward. We train at our own pace now,_ " he snorts.

"Well that's good," I say. I turn to Blitzle, Stoutland and Gurdurr. They stand tall, confident and healthy. "And what do you have to say?" I ask them.

" _It's as Emboar said,_ " Stoutland barks.

" _Yes,_ " Blitzle whinneys. Gurdurr grunts in agreement. I sigh.

"Alright, you seem to have done a good job," I admit. Sera laughs gleefully.

"Oh goodie!" she squeals. She blows me a kiss as she returns her Pokémon. "I'll be by to collect my reward soon," she says, and runs from the Pokémon center. I groan, and follow her out the door and start the walk to the hotel.

We make it back to the hotel, and the staff bows to us as we walk to the elevator. When we make it to my room, I immediately strip and step into the shower. I make sure to lock the door behind me to avoid anyone walking in on me. I'm almost ready to get out after scrubbing my sweaty body, when I hear Selva scream.

I nearly crack my head on the floor scrambling to get out of the bathroom to see what's wrong, almost forgetting to grab a towel on the way out. I slip into the main room to see Selva staring at herself in the mirror on the wall by the bed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I ask.

" _I'm hideous_!" Selva wails, covering her face. I kneel down next to her and wrap my arms around her.

"You are not hideous. You have grown and are different, but you are not hideous," I attempt to soothe her, holding her close to me.

" _I am! I'm not cute anymore_!" Selva sobs.

"You aren't as cute anymore, that's true. You've grown, and are cooler looking. You still look good," I say.

" _I'm going to take a bath_ ," Selva whispers, dislodging herself from my arms and walking slowly to the bathroom.

I gaze sadly after her and Pardin and Leafa join me. I stand up and grab Venom's Pokeball. I let her out in the corner by the potted plant and she blinks groggily at me.

"Hey there, Venom. I just thought you'd want to be outside. We won't be moving or battling, so you'll be okay," I say. Venom blinks at me and hisses contentedly as she settles down and closes her eyes. I flop down on the bed and Pardin joins me. I grab her and hold her up in the air.

"Oh, no you don't," I laugh, tickling her. She giggles and tries to dislodge herself from my hands.

" _Stop it_ ," she giggles, her body shaking with laughter.

"You need to take a bath, you dirty girl," I grin at her. "You were just in a battle."

" _Fine_! _I will_!" Pardin purrs, and I set her down on my chest.

We hear the bathroom door open, and Selva walks out, wrapped in a towel.

"There's your cue," I tickle Pardin under her chin and she giggles again. She jumps off the bed and passes Selva as she walks into the bathroom.

"Are you feeling pretty now that you've washed?" I ask Selva.

"I never use a towel to dry off, so what do you think?" she replies hotly. I frown.

"I wish you could see yourself the way I do," I say sadly. She doesn't answer and she settles down in the corner next to Venom. I should probably give Venom a sponge bath or something. I turn to Leafa.

"You should take a bath, too," I say. She nods.

" _I will once Pardin is done_ ," she says. I rub her head.

"Good. We can't have you guys laying around all dirty now, can we?" Leafa shakes her head, smiling. I get up when I hear Pardin exit the bathroom, and I fetch a washcloth and some soap. I take a pitcher from the minibar and fill it with warm water. I add some soap to the water, and take the water and cloth over to the sleeping Venom.

I dip the cloth in the water and wring it out. I start washing Venom's spines, and her eyes open and blink at me.

"Don't worry, just washing you off a little," I say quietly. "Go back to sleep. You did well today."

Venom sighs, and closes her eyes again and I continue to scrub at her body, washing every inch of her. I stand up and take the pitcher to the bathroom, where I empty it in the tub. I hang the cloth on the edge of the tub to dry.

I hear a knock at the hotel room door. I glance at my Pokémon, who are sound asleep in a cute pile in the corner. I open the door, and whoever it is rushes me and covers my mouth with their hand.

"Shh!" Sera hisses. She sees my Pokémon in the corner, and smiles. "They're tired from today, huh?" she whispers.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper. "And moreover, how did you know where I was?"

"Burgh told me, and I've come to collect my reward," she replies. I groan, but I let her lead me over to the bed. She pushes me onto the bed, and pulls off her shirt and bra, revealing her large breasts. I'm instantly hard. What can I say? She's hot as fuck. She gets on her knees, and unzips my pants, unleashing my erection from my underwear.

"You're quite well-endowed, no wonder your girls are so enamored with you," Sera says, stroking my dick. I groan; she's very good at this. She then takes it a step farther and puts her mouth over the tip, swirling her tongue around it. I feel like I'm going to cum already, but I manage to hold it in. She then takes my dick even farther in her mouth, and down her throat, gagging on it.

I can't take it anymore; I grab Sera's head and fuck her throat for about another minute, her gasps of surprise replaced by moans of pleasure. I shove my dick as far as I can down her throat and cum, moaning as I do. Sera takes her mouth off my dick and swallows.

"Oh my god; you're delicious," she says dreamily. Sera then drools on her breasts, and takes my still hard dick between them. She titfucks my dick, occasionally licking the tip, which is still sensitive, and precum drips out.

"Are you going to cum again?" she asks sexily. I nod. "I want you to cum on me this time. Make me your slut." She puts her mouth over my dick, sucking on the tip while still titfucking it, and I cum. She takes her mouth off my dick, sending cum spraying onto her face and boobs with a squeal of delight. She scoops up the cum with her fingers and licks them, practically purring.

"You're still hard?" Sera asks in disbelief. She smiles, and pulls a condom from her pocket. "Here you go, big boy. I'm not getting pregnant."

I sigh. I can't believe I'm doing this. I put the condom on and Sera strips out of the rest of her clothes. She gets on the bed and waits for me on her hands and knees. I sigh again.

"Come on, get inside me," Sera groans in anticipation.

"Whatever," I mutter. I grab Sera by the hips and thrust inside her. She moans and digs her fingers into the bedsheets.

"Holy shit," she moans, and her pussy tightens around my dick. I continue to fuck her until she cums, and I pull out as I cum as well. Sera grabs another condom. Just how many did she bring? This time, she lays on her back and spreads her legs. I grab her waist again and start fucking her again, and her tits bounce with each thrust. Sera moans loudly, but I cover her mouth with my hand.

"Shh, I don't want my girls to see this," I hiss. Sera grins. She moans quieter, biting down on a sheet. I'm glad she respects the fact I don't want my girls witnessing this, but that doesn't mean I'm glad to be doing this. As hot as Sera is, and as pleasurable as this sex is, I'm only doing it because I promised. "You're lucky they're tired," I mutter. Sera wraps her legs around me as I thrust, and she moans into the bedsheet as she cums.

"One more time," she whispers, out of breath. She pulls out another condom. "Last time I promise."

"Ugh," I groan. I put the condom on, and Sera suddenly pushes me onto the bed on my back. Sera climbs on top of me and lowers herself down onto my dick, moaning as it goes in her. She rests her hands on my chest as she bounces on my dick, still holding a bedsheet in her mouth. She then grins wickedly and pulls a Pokéball out of nowhere.

"Oh, no, you don't," I growl, grabbing the Pokéball and tossing it to the floor. "That wasn't in the deal. Tonight, you're mine." Sera almost blushes, staring at me with wide eyes. Suddenly, she releases the sheet from her mouth and bends down, kissing me on the lips as she continues to bounce on my dick. She moans into the kiss and pulls away, and I follow her up and suck on her nipples. She moans again, holding my head to her chest.

I shove the bedsheet back in her mouth, and she grins. I then grab her waist and start thrusting into her, and she moans as loudly as the bedsheet will allow. She shudders and moans again as she cums, her juices dripping onto my body. I cum soon after, and Sera climbs off me, breathing heavily. She lays next to me on her side, and looks at me. I look back at her, and right now, somehow, she looks almost innocent. Vulnerable. She raises a hand to touch my face, her eyes still looking at me like that.

"You should go," I say, sitting up and searching for my pants. Sera sits up as well.

"Yeah," she says quietly, almost sadly. I turn to her, and she suddenly reverts back to herself, grinning at me and jumping off the bed. She collects her things, putting her clothes back on and continuing to grin at me. She walks to the door, but turns back to me, her eyes switching from the innocent, vulnerable look to their normal crazed and excited look.  
"Don't get 'cocky'" she snorts at the pun, "but that was by far the best sex I've ever had." She then opens the door and leaves, the door closing quietly behind her. I sigh, and put my pants back on. I lay back, trying to suppress everything that just happened.


	17. Chapter 17: Illusions

**Chapter 17: Illusions**

The next morning, I wake up sore. Sore in the head, chest, and dick areas to be precise. I think Sera might have fucked me too hard last night. I look around the room and see my girls still piled in the corner sound asleep. I smile gently and chuckle to myself. I get out of bed, and wince as my head throbs. I kneel next to my sleepy ladies, and give each of them a loving pat.

"I love you guys," I whisper. I stand up and prepare breakfast from the minibar. Someone was kind enough to leave a box of cereal for me. Probably Burgh. I sit and eat my cereal as I wait for everyone to wake up.

Eventually, I must have dozed off, because I wake up with a weight on my head and the bowl on the table instead of in my hands. I reach up and grab Pardin off of my head, and hold her in my lap.

"What are you doing?" I chuckle, scratching behind her ears. Pardin purrs loudly.

" _Sitting on your head, silly_ ," she replies. " _Selva put the bowl on the table. We didn't want it to spill on you_."

"Well that was nice of you girls." I look around the room, only seeing Venom still asleep in the corner and Leafa sitting on the plant. "Where's Selva?" I ask. Pardin rolls her eyes.

" _Little miss self-conscious is hiding_ ," she answers. " _She's in the bathtub_ ," she whispers.

I sigh. "Well we shouldn't stay inside all day," I say. "We should explore the city."

" _Sure, as long as I'm not bored_ ," Pardin yawns.

"Alright, girls! It's time to go out!" I call. Pardin and Leafa get on my shoulders immediately. Venom opens her eyes and blinks at me. I pat her shell. "What do you want to do? Stay here or come with? You'll stay in your Pokéball of course." Venom blinks and sighs. I hold out her Pokéball, and she shifts slightly. I smile. "Okay, you can stay," I say, and put her Pokéball away. Venom sighs and closes her eyes again.

"Okay, let's go!" I call. Selva doesn't come out of the bathroom. "Selva!" I call, but she doesn't respond. I walk into the bathroom and see the shower curtain slightly ajar. "Come on, Selva, let's go. You should get some sun at least," I urge.

" _I'm fine. You can go_ ," Selva says tersely. I sigh, and exchange glances with Pardin and Leafa. I grin, and throw the shower curtain aside. Selva yelps, and I scoop her up and carry her out of the bathroom. She protests, but I ignore her and walk out of the hotel with her in my arms. Once we're outside, she calms down and snuggles against me, obviously happy to be in my arms once again.

I walk around, looking at buildings and the other sights Castelia City has to offer. I buy a Casteliacone and share it with my girls. Pardin licks any ice cream that gets on my face, purring with delight.

"Hey, Travis!" I hear Chuck's voice say. I turn and see Chuck walking towards me, waving.

"Yo," I reply.

"You know, you haven't given me the pleasure of a battle in a while," he says, grinning.

"I guess I haven't," I say, chuckling.

"Well, how about we duck into this deserted alley and have an epic battle?" Chuck asks, pointing to a wide alleyway. Now if this doesn't sound suspicious then I don't know what does. I shrug.

"Yeah, sure." I follow him into the alley, where there are only a few large dumpsters to keep us company.

"Three on three?" Chuck asks.

"Sure," I reply. Chuck takes out five Pokéballs and throws them into the air. In a huge flash of light, a short blue otter looking creature with shells on its legs, a pink tapir-like creature with a flower pattern on its side, a green monkey with a tree-like growth on its head and tail, a skinny rat with big eyes and teeth, and a plump pink creature with big ears and blue eyes. I look in my book, and the Pokémon are Dewott, Munna, Pansage, Watchog, and Audino. I recognized all the Pokémon except Dewott, having encountered them at least once before. I wonder which ones I'll be battling.

"Okay, let's do this, Munna, Dewott, and Audino!" Chuck exclaims. The three selected pokemon cheer and step in front of Chuck while the other two remain by his side to watch. I set Selva down, Pardin jumps down, and Leafa crawls down my arm. I spread my arms.

"These are the only three I have ready at the moment, so bring it on!" I exclaim. "Leafa, you first!"

"I'll start with Audino!" Chuck says, and the pink bipedal Pokémon steps forward. Audino smiles warmly at Leafa, and Leafa smiles back.

"Now, Audino, use Secret Power!" Chuck calls. Audino glows with rainbow energy, and several balls of energy float around it. Then, the energy surges towards Leafa, who uses String Shot to escape to the alley wall at the last second.

"Razor Leaf!" I call, and Leafa launches a flurry of leaves from the side of the building, and Audino is too slow to dodge. However, it barely seems fazed. It must have high defenses.

"Secret Power!" Chuck yells, and Audino launches the attack again. Leafa evades the attack again, responding with Razor Leaf.

"Good! Keep avoiding and counter-attacking!" I encourage Leafa. Leafa grins and shakes her body, sending green particles shooting at Audino. Struggle Bug.

"Secret Power again, then get close and use Double Slap!" Chuck calls. Audino attacks with Secret Power, then runs clumsily at Leafa and swings its small hands at her. Leafa avoids the Secret Power, and counters with Struggle Bug to avoid being hit by Double Slap. Choosing such a slow Pokémon against one that can use its string to move around was a bad choice on Chuck's part. Leafa uses Razor Leaf until Audino is unable to battle. Chuck returns Audino with a grimace.

"Okay, it's your turn, Dewott," Chuck says, and the otter steps forward with a determined expression on its round face. "Now, Water Pulse!" Dewott forms a sphere of water, and shoots it at Leafa, who barely manages to evade it.

"Water Gun!" Leafa is unable to avoid the fast jet of water Dewott shoots at her, and she is blown backwards. "Razor Shell!" Dewott sprints at the downed Leafa, and slashes at her with its scalchops, which have grown to form small swords.

"Fury Cutter!" Dewott slashes at Leafa, which is too much for her to handle and she faints. I return Leafa and turn to Pardin.

"Dewott is Chuck's strongest Pokémon. Are you up to it?" I ask.

" _Are you kidding_? _I'll make mincemeat out of this otter_!" she mews.

"Then let's go!" I exclaim, and Pardin leaps into battle, using Fake Out, making Dewott flinch. She then uses Pursuit, disappearing and reappearing all around Dewott, dealing a lot of damage.

"Let's try an Assist!" I call, and Pardin meows, launching into a Rollout attack. She slams into Dewott, dealing the final blow. Chuck returns Dewott and Munna floats into battle.

"This battle is already over," Chuck shrugs. "Munna can't damage Pardin at all, because she only knows Psychic type moves, except Yawn, but even then, I won't be able to damage you at all."

"Then, let's switch this up," I say. "Pardin, come back. Selva, get in there!" Pardin returns to my hood and Selva walks onto the makeshift battlefield.

"If Munna defeats Selva, you win," I offer. Chuck shakes his head.

"No, I will not allow you to give me a handicap. I won't get stronger if I need a handicap every time," he says. "Now. Munna, use Psybeam!" Munna shoots a purple beam from the hole in its forehead. Selva neatly dodges it.

"Leaf Tornado!" I call, and Selva spins around, launching the attack at Munna, enveloping it in the vortex of swirling leaves.

"Hypnosis!" Chuck calls, and Munna's eyes glow, sending out waves of psychic energy.

"Quick! Growth then Leaf Tornado!" I yell. Selva raises her attacking stats and launches a vortex of leaves at Munna before the waves wash over her and she falls asleep. The boosted Leaf Tornado hits Munna, and it screams before falling to the ground, fainted. Chuck sighs, and returns Munna. I pick up Selva, and smile at her sleeping form in my arms.

"Let's make a quick stop at the Pokémon center, shall we?" Chuck asks. I nod, and we walk there together. We heal our Pokémon that need it, and Chuck bids me adieu. I walk by Burgh's gym, and remember something.

"You know, guys, I've been thinking," I start, and Leafa, Selva and Pardin look at me. "I was a little confused watching Venom and Burgh's Whirlipede together, and I was thinking that maybe I should do something so I'll never mix you up with any other Pokémon, or so that other people know that you're mine."

" _So, like a collar_?" Pardin asks skeptically.

"Well, kind of. Like a collar, but more personal. And it probably won't be a collar. Probably a necklace or bracelet or something," I explain. I look around, trying to see where a shop that sells cheap trinkets and jewelry would be. I start searching around, and eventually find a small shop that sells a bit of everything, fashion-wise. There are clothes, jewelry, and other accessories. We look around inside the store, and the cashier says it's okay if I let my girls run around as long as they don't break anything.

Pardin walks up to me as I'm looking at bracelets, wearing a cloth choker with a small bell on it. She grins and purrs proudly. That's actually kind of sexy. I look at Leafa, and honestly have no idea what kind of trinket would fit on her. I ask the cashier what she thought, and she smiles.

"You're spoiling your girls, sir," she jokes. "The thing for your Swadloon would be a loose necklace." She guides to a bunch of long stringed necklaces with small charms on them. I pick one for Leafa with a small leaf on it. Selva also chooses a necklace, this one much smaller and with a sun charm on it. I pick out a bracelet I think will fit around one of Venom's spines. I pay for our choices, thankful they're so inexpensive, and the cashier smiles at me.

"Shouldn't you get something also, to match your team?" she asks, eyes glittering mischievously. Once she puts this idea in my girls' heads they insist on me buying something for myself. I glare at the cashier who is trying hard not to laugh. Damn saleswoman. I pick out an inexpensive pinky ring and my girls finally leave me alone.

Pardin proudly displays her choker, Leafa hides her necklace under her leaf cloak, and Selva walks more confidently with her necklace on. I pat her head.

"You all look beautiful," I say, and Leafa gets an indignant look on her face. We all laugh, and continue on our way. Suddenly, I see a shadow dash around a corner into an alley. I am very curious, and I follow it. In the alley, I see Chuck of all people.

"Chuck, what are you doing in this alley?" I ask. Chuck turns around, and makes a hoarse laughing sound. "What the hell?" I mutter. Suddenly, Chuck shrinks, and a small black fox with a tuft of hair in between its ears with a red tip is standing there. It has red eyebrows and red paws, with piercing blue eyes. It makes the same laughing sound, and paws at the ground, wagging its tail.

"Do you want a battle?" I ask, and the Pokémon nods, grinning. I look in my book, and have to search through the entire thing just to find this Pokémon. Apparently, it's a Zorua, and very little is known about them, except that they can change its appearance, which explains why it looked like Chuck earlier.

"Alright, then," I grin. "If it's a battle you want, then it's a battle I'll give you!" Pardin snarls menacingly and leaps down to the ground. "It's all yours, Pardin," I say.

Pardin and Zorua each use Pursuit, and disappear and appear around each other, each landing several hits. Pardin uses Fake Out, and Zorua flinches. Zorua uses Faint Attack to counter Pardin's Pursuit. Suddenly, Pardin lashes out with her paw, sending Zorua flying. What attack was that? Last time I checked, Pardin knew Assist, Pursuit, Fake Out, and Hone Claws. That didn't look like any of those, and it definitely wasn't Assist.

Zorua growls and launches an assault of Faint Attack. Pardin snarls and scratches her claws on the pavement, and her claws glow. Her attack and accuracy rises. She uses Pursuit, and then the new move again, sending Zorua crashing into the side of a building.

"Okay, that's enough," I call as I see Zorua struggling to stand. I walk over to it and pet it gently.

"How was that? Satisfying enough for you?" I ask. Zorua snickers.

" _What's wrong with you, human_? _Capture me already_!" it whispers. I shake my head.

"No, I'm taking you to the Pokémon center," I say, and I pick Zorua up. Pardin jumps to my shoulders and Selva follows me as I walk briskly to the Pokémon center. I heal Pardin and Zorua, and I walk back outside. I set Zorua down.

"Alright, get going, you rascal," I say. Zorua looks shocked.

" _What_? _You aren't going to capture me_?" it asks.

"No, that's not how I do things," I reply.

" _Then how do you do things_?" Zorua asks.

"I don't battle Pokémon and capture them. If a Pokémon I befriend wants to come with me, I'll take them with me," I answer.

" _Then let me go with you_!" Zorua exclaims. I raise my eyebrows.

"Why do you want to come with me?" I ask.

" _I saw the way you battled, and I love how well you treat your Pokémon friends_ ," Zorua says. " _I've been watching you since you and your friend battled. I can see that you are a human with great kindness and love in your heart_." I smile gently.

"Well if you really want to come with me, then I won't stop you," I say, and I hold out an empty Pokéball. Zorua yips with joy and presses the button with its paw. Pardin hisses as the Pokéball wiggles and Zorua is captured.

"What's your deal?" I ask her.

" _That Zorua is a girl_!" Pardin exclaims. I groan.

"Ugh, you're worried that you'll have to share me with her as well? Well don't worry. I haven't had sex with Leafa or Venom," I say.

" _Well, they're both bugs_! _No offense, Leafa_ ," Pardin exclaims.

" _None taken_ ," Leafa shrugs. I toss Zorua's Pokéball up and let her out. She yips and jumps into my arms.

"I think I'll call you Zora," I say. "How does that sound?"

" _I think it sounds just fine_ ," she replies.

"Alright," I say, and put Zora on my shoulder.

" _Nope_! _Change shoulders_!" Pardin meows. I sigh.

"Just do what she wants, Zora. She was there first, so I suppose she gets to choose who she shares a shoulder with," I say. Zora and Leafa grumble and trade places.

"Now, is everyone happy?" I ask.

" _Not entirely_ ," Pardin mutters.

"Happier than they were a few seconds ago?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

" _Oh, then yes_ ," Pardin says.

"Looks like we'll need to get Zora something as well," I sigh. I walk back to the little shop, greeting the cashier as I walk in.

"I walk out the door and a few minutes later I find another friend to buy something for," I chuckle, and the cashier laughs. I pick out a bracelet for Zora to wear around her front leg. I pay and exchange goodbyes with the cashier again.

"Try to find another one to bring in!" she jokes, and I laugh as I leave the shop.

"I think we'll probably come back here at some point," I murmur to myself. I like their wares, both the selection and the prices. We walk back to the hotel, and ride the elevator back to my room. I let my girls run loose in the room and I walk up to Venom, who appears to still be asleep. I pat her shell, and she opens her eyes and blinks sleepily.

"Hey there, sleepy girl, I got you something," I say quietly, showing her the bracelet. She hisses quietly as I fasten the bracelet around one of her spines. I kiss her shell and she closes her eyes with a satisfied sigh. I hope she's storing a shit ton of energy for evolution with all the sleeping she does. I smile and grab some food from the minibar.

"We'll head to the next town tomorrow, I say, glancing at the late afternoon sun. "Just rest up for today." I take off my shirt and shoes, and flop down on the bed, ready for a nap.


	18. Chapter 18: Relic Castle

**Chapter 18: Relic Castle**

I wake up to see Pardin staring into my eyes. I yelp, startled, and I bolt upright, nearly throwing her across the room.

"Don't do that!" I exclaim as she rolls on the bed laughing. She composes herself and slides up to me, still proudly displaying her choker.

" _I saw the way you looked at me when you saw me in this_ ," she purrs, rubbing my dick over my pants. I smile and unzip my pants, releasing my erection. Pardin purrs loudly, holding my dick in her paws and licking along its length. I rub her head as she puts her mouth over the tip and works her tongue. She suddenly looks over to one side of the room.

" _Hey, Selva_!" she calls, lust clouding her voice. I look to where she's looking to see Selva standing there, watching us, an unreadable expression on her face. " _Don't you want to share this_ amazing _cock with me_?" Pardin asks, licking my dick again. Selva turns on her heels and walks into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

" _Her loss, more for me_!" Pardin purrs, putting her mouth over my dick and sucking on it. She breathes heavily, and pulls away, saliva trailing from her mouth. I glance at the bathroom door, very worried for Selva. She's never turned down sex before.

" _I can't take it anymore, please get inside me_ ," Pardin moans. I smile and oblige. I lift her up and set her down on my dick. She sinks down, moaning loudly as I bounce her on my dick. She mews as she cums, and I cum inside her. Pardin purrs, cum dripping from her pussy. She licks my cheek and carefully walks over to the bathroom.

" _Hey, Selva_! _Let me in_! _I need to clean myself off_! _My pussy is positively_ dripping _Travis' cum_!" she calls. After a few seconds, Selva opens the door, and runs past Pardin and into the minibar where she hides in a cupboard. I sigh and pull my clothes on. I glance at Zora, Leafa and Venom, who are somehow still asleep in the corner.

I think we should move on. There isn't really any reason to stay in Castelia City except for this hotel room. I'd like to keep moving forward and get stronger. I get up, put on my jacket, and pack up anything that's been left out, including any food left in the minibar, and some of the hotel soaps and such. May as well, right?

I wake Zora and Leafa up, and Zora yawns cutely, stretching her legs and back. She smiles and yips excitedly as she dances around me. I laugh and scratch behind her ears.

"We'll be moving on as soon as Pardin is done cleaning herself," I say, and Leafa and Zora grin. I walk into the minibar and search the cupboards until I find Selva. I grab her and set her down with the others. I hear the bathroom door open and Pardin walks into the room.

" _Are we leaving_?" she asks, sounding disappointed.

"Yes. I think we should move on from Castelia City. I want us to get stronger and be able to beat Sera next time," I say. Pardin sighs.

" _I guess you have a point, but I'll miss this_ ," she says, looking around the expansive room.

"I agree, but we can't stay here forever," I say. Pardin sighs again and jumps into my hood. Zora and Leafa settle on my shoulders, and I kneel and pat Venom's shell, waking her up.

"Hey, Venom, sorry to wake you, I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving the hotel. I don't want you to freak out when you wake up in a new location." Venom sighs and closes her eyes again. I smile and return her to her Pokéball. I stand, and walk out of the room. After the short elevator ride, I turn in my key to the front desk. If I see Burgh I'll thank him again.

I exit the hotel and walk towards the Castelia Central Area, which is a large square adorned with a fountain. Selva sulks as usual, walking alongside me, not looking at me. I sigh, and continue walking towards Route 4. I walk through the gate to see an ocean of sand, with a road splitting it in two. We stare in awe at the massive expanse of sand, then walk cautiously down the road. The wind is strong, and carries sand with it.

"Do you guys want to get inside your Pokéballs?" I ask, worried about Zora, Selva and Leafa's exposure to a possible sandstorm. Zora and Leafa huddle next to my head, and Selva holds onto my pant leg.

" _I'm fine_ ," Zora whimpers, and Selva Leafa voices her agreement. I sigh, and hold out their Pokéballs.

"You say that, but I'm going to return you anyway. It's just to be safe, okay?" I return Zora, Selva and Leafa and put their Pokéballs away. I hold my hand in front of my eyes, following the road. Pardin nuzzles my cheek in encouragement. I then see the road end, and a small shack resting beside the road. I walk up to the building, and lean against it, glad to have some cover from the wind.

"Oh, hello," a voice says. I turn to see that the door has opened, and a man wearing a hard hat is looking out at me. "I'm guessing you want to get to Nimbasa City, right?" I nod.

"Alright, follow me," he says, and closes the door and walks off the road. I follow him, and he leads me through the sand until I see some small buildings in front of us.

"My name is Gus. We're currently constructing the road through the desert on Route 4, so one of us usually waits by the road end to take travelers through our encampment, where it's safer." Gus leads me through the buildings, where I see other workers and equipment, as well as Pokémon that will be building the road. Gus leads me to the end of the small village of construction workers, and points the road.

"To the left is the Desert Resort. Really, the only reason to go there is to explore the Relic Castle, but I wouldn't recommend it. Sandstorms are common in that area especially. And to the right is Nimbasa City. Good luck!" Gus walks back into the village. I look to the left. The Relic Castle, huh? Sounds interesting.

" _I want to see this Relic Castle_ ," Pardin swats at my cheek, voicing my thoughts. I smile and follow the road left. The road leads to another gate, and we walk through it. On the other side, I can make out a tower in the distance. I walk towards it, blocking the wind from my eyes. Eventually, I stumble, quite literally, upon a small ruin with wide, dark gray statues. Upon closer inspection, the statues kinda look like Pokémon. I look through my book, and find a picture of these statues.

The Pokémon is Darmanitan, a Fire type, and apparently when it is weak, it turns into a statue-like creature and gains the Psychic typing. The question is, are these statues actually statues or Darmanitan? I then notice a staircase, half buried by sand. Pardin slaps my face.

" _Let's go down there_!" she mews. I smile, rubbing her ears.

"Fine," I say. It looks safe enough. I examine the entrance, and the broken bits around it. Then, the wind picks up and sand starts blowing everywhere.

"Shit, I think this is a sandstorm!" I exclaim, and I hurry down the stairs. Once inside, I sigh in relief. In the darkness, I see a distant light. I walk along the wall, towards the light. Upon nearing the light, I see a wide dip in the ground. I look into the dip, and see the source of the light. Near the bottom of the pit is a lantern, and next to the lantern is a woman, unconscious and half submerged in the sand.

"Holy shit!" I exclaim, and throw Selva's Pokéball. "Selva, I need you to grab around my waist with Vine Whip," I say, and Selva nods, wrapping her vines around my waist. I ease down into the pit, and slide down to the lantern. I grab onto the lantern and hang it from my backpack. I then grab under the woman's arms and pull, slowly lifting her out of the sand, which I'm assuming is quicksand.

"Okay, now start pulling us up," I call to Selva, and her vines tighten as I attempt to walk up the side of the pit. My arms really hurt from holding this woman and her enormous backpack. Selva pulls us up and I drop the woman to the ground and collapse against the wall. I put the lantern on the floor between us and rest, massaging my aching arms. I let Leafa and Zora out of their Pokéball, and all my girls cuddle with me while I listen to the sandstorm outside.

I doze off waiting for the sandstorm to end. When I open my eyes, I see a pair of large red eyes staring at me. I scream, and my girls wake up in surprise. Pardin lashes out, catching the shadow with red eyes with her new attack, sending it crashing into the wall.

"Fuck, that scared me," I gasp, my heart beating quickly. I stand up, and we examine the unfamiliar Pokémon. Its body is black, and blends in with the shadows. It has arms with wide wrists and hands, but doesn't have legs, but it has a thin part which I'm not sure if it's its body or a tail. It holds a golden mask with a human face on it. I look closer and the face is very female looking, with full lips and slim cheekbones and nose. That's actually really creepy.

"We should take this…" I look in my book and find that this Pokémon's name is Yamask, "… Yamask to the Pokémon center." I try to grab the Yamask by the arm, but my hand goes right through it. I refuse to touch that creepy mask. I groan.

"I guess I'll have to take it with us," I sigh, and bring out an empty Pokéball. I tap the mask with the Pokéball, and the Yamask goes inside. The Pokéball wiggles, and glows. Yamask was captured.

"Wha- what's going on?" I hear a female voice say. I turn around and see the woman is now awake, and is sitting up. She stares at me and my girls, and gasps.

"Did you get me out of the quicksand?" she asks. I nod. "Holy shit, thank you so much. I wasn't paying attention and I fell in. I couldn't reach my Pokéballs and I must have passed out."

"You'll have to thank this little lady here," I say, kneeling and rubbing Selva's head. "She pulled me up with her Vine Whip while I held onto you."

"Thank you," the woman says. She takes off her backpack, and pulls out a large rock. "I was digging a few levels below this one, and found this Pokémon fossil," she holds it out to me, and I can see that it has something in it that looks like a turtle shell.

"To express my deepest gratitude for saving me, I'd like for you to keep it," she continues, and I take it, surprised at how heavy it is. It's only about the size of a dinner plate but is much heavier than it looks.

"Thank you…" I say, not entirely sure what to do with it.

"I'm an amateur fossil collector, and I sometimes work with the scientists at the Nacrene City Museum. I heard they're working on a machine that can bring Pokémon fossils back to life," the woman explains. "Maybe if you took it there you could have it resurrected." I gaze in awe at the fossil, amazed at the potential for this chunk of rock to perhaps become a Pokémon.

"But anyway, it sounds like there's a sandstorm outside, so we'll be in here for a bit," the woman continues. "My name is Tia."

"I'm Travis," I say, and I introduce my girls. They all seem to take to Tia quickly, and soon are playing with her Pokémon, a Sandile and Sigilyph. Pardin however seems suspicious.

"I'm not going to have sex with her if that's what you're worried about," I whisper to her as we sit against the wall, watching everyone fool around in the sand.

" _That is part of it, I'm just confused as to why she's here. This place must have been scoured already, and everything around it dug up. So why is she here, and how did she find that fossil_?" Pardin wonders.

"I don't know, but she seems nice enough," I say.

" _I guess_ …" Pardin murmurs, climbing into my hood and settling on my shoulders. She falls asleep, her soft breath tickling my neck. We sit down there for hours, and eventually, after a long and frustrating wait, the sandstorm stops.

"Okay, let's get out of here!" Tia exclaims, and she leads the way up the stairs and into the sunlight. It takes several seconds for my eyes to adjust, and surrounding us is an endless expanse of desert.

"Shit, how are we supposed to get to Nimbasa City now?" I groan. Tia gives me a sideways glance.

"That way," she points, and starts walking in that direction. I shrug, and follow her. Her directions turn out to be correct, and we make it to the gate that leads to Route 4. We walk through and follow the road up to Nimbasa City. We make it to the city, and I see a familiar sight. A pair of Team Plasma grunts are confronting an old man, who is holding a fluffy gray Pokémon with a long tail and big ears. I groan.

"Not them again," I whine.

"Who are those people?" Tia asks.

"They're members of Team Plasma," I reply. "They try to persuade or force people to release their Pokémon, or just steal them. And they claim to be lovers of Pokémon, but they've abused and stolen and attacked too much for me to recognize that claim as valid." My chest burns with anger. My girls echo this emotion and glare at the two grunts. I walk towards them, Tia following nervously behind. When they see me, they turn to me and sneer.

"Hey, kid! Why don't you be a good little boy and hand over those Pokémon you're abusing," the woman grunt says. I glare at her and she flinches.

"What, so are you gonna put up a fight?" the man grunt asks, pulling out two Pokéballs. I kneel and Zora, Leafa and Pardin walk from my shoulders to the ground. Selva joins them, standing in front of me and staring the grunts down. I see the old man run away while the grunts are distracted.

"Ugh, you damn kid," the woman gripes. She throws a Pokéball, and a Sandile appears in a flash of light. The man throws his two Pokéballs, and a Scraggy and a Watchog appear. I sneer.

"Take care of them," I order, and my girls leap into action. Pardin uses Fake Out, before unleashing a barrage of Pursuit, attacking the Watchog from all angles. Selva slams Sandile into the ground with Vine Whip, and Zora and Leafa hit Scraggy with Faint Attack and Bug Bite. Within seconds, the grunts' Pokémon are fainted. The grunts return their Pokémon and run away in a panic.

"It's that fucking kid!" I hear one yell as their forms fade into the distance. I grind my teeth and stomp my foot into the ground so hard it hurts. Those damned Team Plasma fuckers are at it again. I haven't seen them in a few days, but here they are again. I then remember that I need to get the Yamask to the Pokémon center, so after assuaging any worries my girls have for me, they return to their normal positions and we walk to the Pokémon center. When Yamask is healed, I turn to see Tia eyeing me with a weird expression.

"What?" I ask.

"Those weird people seemed to know you. Have you met before?" she asks.

"Not those particular people, but I've had many a run-in with Team Plasma, and have foiled a few plans of theirs. I guess you could say I'm infamous," I reply. She looks at me with awe.

"You're so cool," she murmurs. I sigh.

"I should go let this Yamask go," I say, holding the Pokéball. Tia tilts her head.

"Why would you do that? You caught it fair and square," she says, confused.

"I don't catch Pokémon. If a Pokémon wants to come with me, they'll join me, but I don't force any Pokémon to come with me," I explain. I walk out of the Pokémon center, and Tia follows. We walk out of Nimbasa City, and to the gate that leads to the Desert Resort. On the other side, I let Yamask out of the Pokéball.

"Alright, you're free to go," I say, and the Pokémon looks at me, confused.

" _What_? _You're letting me go_? _That is most unusual_ ," Yamask says in a hollow voice.

"I don't force Pokémon to come with me. I only captured you so I could get you to a Pokémon center," I say. Yamask tilts its head.

" _You are… different from most humans I've seen. They usually are loud and don't care about the wild Pokémon. Trainers like that have captured many Pokémon in the Desert Resort, but I stayed hidden. I am very lonely, however, and since you seem like a nice person, I'd like to come with you_." I am slightly taken aback. The Yamask stares at me with its sad red eyes.

"Well, if that's the case, then welcome to the party," I say, and Yamask offers a small smile, which is quickly replaced with its usual somber look.

" _Another female_ ," Pardin whispers to me.

"Okay, then let's go back to Nimbasa City then," I say, and Yamask follows me, levitating beside Selva and Tia as we make our way back to civilization.


	19. Chapter 19: Training

**Chapter 19: Training**

Once we're back in Nimbasa City, I stretch and smile.

"Okay, team," I say, turning to my girls, "We should probably start training. There is a gym here but I doubt we're prepared yet. And I want to give our newest member some attention," I smile at Yamask.

"Come to think of it, I haven't given you a nickname yet," I say thoughtfully. "How does… Dissa sound?" I ask.

" _Whatever you want to call me is fine_ ," she says, the sad undertone still in her voice. I clap my hands.

"Perfect. Now, let's go to…" I look at the map of the region in my book. "Lostlorn Forest." I lead the way down the street towards the east gate. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see people in familiar gray uniforms. I turn to face them, and see them sneak through an archway into an area labelled with a neon sign that reads "Amusement Park." I grit my teeth, and avert my course, following them into the park. Tia, Selva, and Dissa follow me as I stride purposefully into the park. However, the grunts disappear as quickly as they appeared. I scowl, and look around.

"What's wrong? Why are we in the amusement park?" Tia asks. I glare around the park again, scouring the grounds for anyone wearing a gray uniform.

"I swear I saw Team Plasma grunts run in here," I answer. "We need to find them before they get into more trouble." I send Tia to search the grounds as I walk in a different direction.

"Looking for Team Plasma?" I hear a voice ask. I turn quickly to see N standing there, arms crossed. He points to the Ferris wheel behind him. "You might be able to see them from up there." I scowl at him. This sounds like a trap. N puts his hands up in an "I surrender" motion.

"I know you don't trust me, but it might help," he says. I begrudgingly have to agree with him. The Ferris wheel would give me the high ground and might help me find those grunts. I walk past him into the building that houses the boarding dock of the wheel. Thankfully, the line isn't long, and I manage to get onto the Ferris wheel after a few minutes of waiting. When I step into the car, I feel a weight enter the car that is much too big to be Selva. I turn to see that N has joined me unannounced.

"I love Ferris wheels," he says, ignoring my glare at his rudeness. "I love the circular motion… the mechanics…" he has a dreamy look in his eyes. I sigh; the car has started moving, so it's too late to kick him out of the car. I gaze out the window of the car as we start rising, searching for those grunts.

"I think I should tell you something important," N says. I ignore him and continue looking out the window as the car continues to rise. "I'm the king of Team Plasma." I turn to face him, and Pardin hisses.

"What?" I ask. N sighs.

"I am the king of Team Plasma," he repeats. I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Ghetsis asked me to work with him to help save Pokémon," N continues, not breaking eye contact. He then looks out the window at the evening sun. "I wonder how many Pokémon there are in this world…" he muses. I look away from him, not sure how to react. I mean, I did suspect that something was up. N and Team Plasma do share similar views on trainers and Pokémon. However, N seems to be more moderate than the grunts and Ghetsis. N seems to genuinely care for Pokémon, but Ghetsis is leading the grunts to hurt and steal and torment Pokémon. The car stops and I'm jolted from my thoughts. I follow N out of the building, and out of nowhere, the grunts I was looking for run right up to us.

"Sire, thank goodness you're safe!" one exclaims, then yelps in alarm when he sees me. N turns to him.

"You are here to help me save Pokémon, and as such, are under my protection," he says, turning back to me. "I'll battle this boy to cover your escape." I grit my teeth. N raises his hands, and a Sandile, Sigilyph, Scraggy, and Darumaka appear out of the bushes. Selva and Dissa look around us, Selva glaring and Dissa just staring with her sad red eyes. I kneel, allowing Leafa, Zora and Pardin to crawl down my arms to the ground.

"Now, my friends, let us create a diversion!" N shouts, and the wild Pokémon leap into action. "Sand Tomb, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Air Cutter." Sandile digs into the ground, and digs towards Selva, digging in a circle around her. Then, the ground under her collapses, and she's waist deep in sand. Darumaka leaps at Zora, its fist engulfed in flames. Zora evades the attack, and retaliates with Faint Attack. Scraggy charges Pardin, and attempts to hit her with its outstretched fist. Pardin dodges, and uses Fake Out, causing Scraggy to flinch. Sigilyph flaps its thin wings and razor-sharp gusts of wind fly at Leafa.

"Dissa, attack Sigilyph!" I order. She looks at me, confused. "Just attack!" I yell. She turns back to Sigilyph, and shoots a burst of purple flames at it. Sigilyph becomes cloaked in flames. She then glows with purple energy and hurls a purple sphere at Sigilyph. Sigilyph glows as the sphere hits it, then is thrown backwards into a tree. It falls to the ground, fainted. I pump my fist. This is the first time I've defeated a Pokémon N used!

"Ah, a Will-O-Wisp Hex combo?" N asks, stroking his chin. "Clever Yamask." Pardin hits Scraggy with Pursuit, then lashes out with that attack I don't know.

"Assurance, huh? We've got that, too!" N exclaims, and Sandile slams into Selva, still trapped in the Sand Tomb. She screams, glaring at Sandile.

"Leaf Tornado!" I yell, and Selva grits her teeth, managing to create a small vortex of leaves that carries Sandile away from us. It lands, badly damaged, and digs back into the ground. Scraggy slams its fist into Pardin with Brick Break, and she slides backwards, badly damaged by the super effective attack.

"Hone Claws and Growth!" I call, and Pardin and Selva raise their stats. Scraggy comes at Pardin with another Brick Break, but Dissa gets in its way. She glows white, and Scraggy follows suite. Its attack is stopped.

"Disable," N tsks. "Faint Attack and Assurance on Yamask," he calls. Scraggy disappears and reappeard behind Dissa, hitting her. She doesn't react, but turns and uses Will-O-Wisp, setting Scraggy ablaze. Her somber face while she's burning Pokémon alive is kind of unsettling. Sandile digs under her and slams into her, getting about the same reaction. Dissa burns Sandile too, and slams her purple spheres into both the burned Pokémon, sending them flying.

"Finish them off, Leafa, use Struggle Bug!" I call. Leafa's body vibrates and lets off green particles, and these particles shoot off, knocking out Sandile and Scraggy. Now it's just Darumaka. Darumaka faces us, face unafraid. I pull Selva from the Sand Tomb, and Zora glares at Darumaka, a purple face with red eyes and sharp teeth appearing in front of her face. The face snarls, and Darumaka shivers.

"Scary Face tactics?" N asks, teeth gritted now. Darumaka glares at us, and rolls into a ball. It spins, and shoots at us like a cannon.

"It's Rollout!" I yell, "Stand clear!" Darumaka rolls around, my girls scrambling to avoid the little red cannonball. Dissa appears in Darumaka's path, and uses Disable, both her and Darumaka glowing white. Darumaka comes out of its ball, tripping and falling on its face.

"Attack," I say, voice devoid of any kindness or mercy. N tsks. My girls surround Darumaka, and beat it with their Physical attacks until it faints. I look at N.

"Your precious grunts escaped, are you happy?" I ask. N closes his eyes, and kneels.

"I am. You may go now," he says. I walk around him, my girls following me. Leafa uses String Shot to grapple onto my shoulder, and Pardin and Zora jump on.

"Travis!" I hear Tia call. I turn to see her running up to me, and she stops in front of me, gasping for breath.

"I couldn't find the Team Plasma grunts. Did you have any luck?" she asks. I scowl.

"Too much luck for my liking," I mutter. I walk out of the park, and Tia follows. I walk to the Pokémon center, and heal anyone who got hurt in the battle. The sun is about to set, so I decide to take a walk before getting a room in the Pokémon center. I lead our ragtag group out of the center, and the man from earlier runs up to me, breathing heavily.

"I finally found you," he gasps. "I wanted to thank you for earlier." He hands me a box about the size of a wide pizza box.

"It's a foldable bicycle," he explains. "Those goons were going to take my precious China from me, and she's worth the world to me." The Pokémon I saw when Team Plasma attacked him appears on his shoulder. I look in my book; it's a Minccino. It chirps pleasantly, thanking me.

"Uh, well thanks for the bike," I say, not sure exactly how to react.

"Don't mention it. I own the bike shop in this town, it's no trouble. As I said, China is worth much more to me than a bike." The man continues to thank me profusely before waving goodbye and walking away.

"You know what we should to tomorrow?" Tia asks. "We should see the Pokémon Musical."

"The what?"

"The Pokémon Musical. Its where Pokémon dress up and perform with humans in classic musicals!" Tia exclaims, getting an excited look in her eyes. I tilt my head.

"Why are you following me around, anyway?" I ask, genuinely confused.

"Because you're really strong. Not just your Pokémon, but you as well. You're kind, but ruthless when you need to be. You save your aggression for genuine threats, like Team Plasma. You don't take out your anger on innocent Pokémon."

"That doesn't entirely answer my question," I say, shrugging.

"I'd like to travel with you," she blurts out. I stare at her, and she blushes. I sigh.

"Fine, I can't really stop you," I say nonchalantly, but secretly glad to have some human company. I look up at the setting sun.

"Well that took up my walk time; let's get rooms in the Pokémon center," I say.

"Same room?" Tia asks, blushing again. I scowl at her.

"Separate." I walk into the Pokémon center, and get two room keys from Nurse Joy. I toss one to Tia, and we go into our own rooms. I sigh, and sink down onto the bed. My girls pile into the bathroom to take a bath, but Dissa remains levitating in the room, staring into space. I toss my shoes and jacket to the floor, and take off my backpack. I lean my backpack and the bicycle box against the wall. I should bike back to Nacrene City and have Lenora look at the fossil Tia gave me. Should I do that before or after I beat the gym? Shit, I don't know… I take out Venom's Pokéball, and toss into the corner, releasing her in a flash of light. She blinks at me before settling down and falling back asleep. I turn to Dissa, who is still just floating there, staring at nothing.

"Hey, Dissa," I say. She looks up at me immediately.

" _What is it, Master_?" she asks in her hollow voice.

"You can just call me Travis, first of all," I say, rubbing my head.

" _But I like 'Master.' It makes you sound more professional and scary_ ," she says. I sigh.

"Call me whatever sounds best to you," I say. We stare at each other for a few minutes, an awkward silence permeating the room.

"I haven't seen you smile very much," I say awkwardly, breaking the silence.

" _I don't have much of a reason to smile_ ," Dissa replies.

"You don't really need a reason to smile," I point out.

" _Really_?" she asks, sounding genuinely surprised. I nod.

"Yeah, you don't have to smile because of something. You can smile just because you're feeling happy, or just feeling good in general."

" _I don't feel happiness, and_ _I don't 'feel good'_ ," Dissa sighs. " _I just exist_." Wow, that's depressing.

"Well I hope I can change that," I say, smiling at her. I should keep talking to her, maybe get her to crack and warm up to me.

"I was very impressed with your battling skills," I say. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

" _I had to learn to fight to survive in the ruins_ ," Dissa replies. " _There are a lot of tough Pokémon down there_." I nod. That would be understandable. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a really strong ancient Pokémon deep in the ruins with an army of minions. Just then the bathroom door opens and a cloud of steam wafts out. My girls walk out of the steam, Pardin and Zora swaggering, Selva more reserved, and Leafa crawling along beside them, rolling her eyes.

"How was the bath?" I ask, chuckling.

" _It was wonderful_!" Pardin exclaims. I laugh at her enthusiasm. I stand up.

"I hope you left enough hot water for me," I say, and walk into the bathroom. I then get an idea.

"Hey, Dissa, do you want to bathe with me?" I ask. Pardin stares at me, mouth agape.

" _I'll join you_ ," Dissa sighs, floating into the bathroom.

"She's a ghost, for fuck's sake, Pardin," I exclaim. "It's basically physically impossible to fuck her."

"Oh, by the way," I say, turning back to my other girls. "There's a washing machine in the closet. Wash my clothes and jacket, would you? Just follow the directions." I smile at Pardin's indignant look and walk into the bathroom.

" _Taking a bath with a ghost, making us do his laundry_ -" I close the door on Pardin's complaints, chuckling to myself. Dissa floats by the bathtub, and I strip down. I notice that the girls all left their trinkets on the bathroom counter, and smile again. I turn on the shower, and Dissa watches me.

"So what do you want to talk about?" I ask her, washing my hair. She shrugs.

" _Anything is fine with me_ ," she says.

"How about you tell me your life story and I'll tell you mine?" I ask. Dissa sniffles, then bursts into tears. I stare at her, and scramble out of the shower as she sinks to the floor, covering her eyes with her wide hands.

"Dissa, what's wrong?" I ask, grabbing her arm. This time, I make some connection. Her arm feels like grabbing dry gelatin; it barely has any mass but you can tell it's there and you can hold it. Suddenly, her arm slips through my hand, and I get an unsettling feeling of cold as she passes through the floor and disappears.

"Holy shit!" I exclaim. What's wrong? Did I say something to make her sad? I try not to slip on the floor as I run into the room, surprising everyone with my nudity.

"Did Dissa pass through here?" I ask, out of breath from the adrenaline of seeing Dissa disappear.

" _No_ …" Pardin says, sounding confused. " _Why_?"

"I said something and she started crying and disappeared through the floor," I explain, staring at the washing machine, still washing my clothes. Damn. I chew on my thumbnail, waiting impatiently for my clothes to be finished. I need to search for Dissa and find out what's wrong. I remain standing there, watching the washing machine in the nude until its finished. It beeps, and I rush to pull a set of clothes out and put them on.

" _Where are you going_?" Zora barks. I open the door and turn back to her.

"I'm going to see if I can find Dissa," I answer, and I run out the door. I run down the hall and down the stairs, and out of the Pokémon center and into the night. I look around frantically, then run down the street for several minutes, trying to find her among the shadows. I call her name, but have no success. I return to the Pokémon center, disheartened and very worried about her. I walk back to my room to the worried huddle of girls I left behind.

They crowd around me, and pull me to the bed. I sit down on the edge of the bed. I then realize that my feet are bare and are bleeding from running down the street. Zora runs to the bathroom, and returns with a wet cloth. Selva and Leafa wrap the cloth around one of my feet, and Zora fetches another, and they wrap it around the other. Pardin pushes me down onto the bed, and Selva lifts my feet with her vines. Zora fetches a towel to put under my feet. Pardin, Zora, Selva, and Leafa all snuggle up to me, and I eventually manage to fall asleep.

I wake up, feeling my girls' warm bodies against mine. I sigh, thinking about Dissa. I wonder what upset her so much. I asked her about her life; maybe she had a sad or scary life that she hasn't told me about yet. I wonder where she is and what she's doing. Suddenly, I hear a knock at the door. I don't want to move, but I shouldn't keep whoever is at the door waiting. I carefully get up, trying my hardest to avoid waking up any of my Pokémon. I walk quietly over to the door and open it.

"Hey," Tia says cheerfully.

"Hi. You haven't seen Dissa by any chance, have you?" I ask.

"No, I haven't," she answers, "why?"

"She disappeared last night and I couldn't find her anywhere," I say, feeling the soles of my feet. The cuts must have been small; they're already scabbing over.

"Would you like to look for her?" Tia asks, sounding concerned.

"Of course, but I have no idea where she would be," I say, pulling on a clean pair of socks.

"Well then, we look everywhere," she says matter-of-factly. She and I search the entire room, and find nothing. My girls wake up and help us look. We then search the hallways and Tia's room. When we find no trace of Dissa, we walk down the stairs to the lobby, and I look away guiltily as I see a janitor cleaning my bloody footprints out of the carpet. We search the lobby, and explain to Nurse Joy that we're looking for a Yamask. She says she'll inform anyone who comes by to keep an eye out. I thank her and we walk out of the Pokémon center.

Where the hell could she be? After scouring basically the entire city, I send Tia to search Route 5, and I walk towards Lostlorn Forest. I walk among the trees, calling her name. I walk deeper and deeper into the forest, and farther and farther from the road. I come across a clearing. There is a man leaning against a tree, looking towards a small camper parked at the end of the clearing. The man notices me, and walks towards me.

"The woman in that trailer seems to value living quietly and by herself," he informs me.

"Okay…" I say, confused.

"I'm a people watcher. And upon discovering this little hideaway, I came to the conclusion that this woman is worth being watched. I'm currently studying the behavior of the modern hermit." Okay, you're creepy. I sigh, and am about to turn and walk back to the road, when the camper's door opens, and a woman walks out, followed by a Yamask. Dissa! The woman says some unintelligible words to Dissa, and she watches the ghost Pokémon float towards me. Dissa says nothing, and gives nothing away with her face.

"What happened last night?" I ask her. "Did I say something to upset you? Who is that woman?" She doesn't answer, just stares at me with her sad red eyes. I sigh.

"Let's go back to the city," I say quietly.

" _Can we come back here sometime_?" Dissa asks suddenly.

"Why? What's so important about this place?" I ask.

" _Io says we can come here anytime and train if we'd like_ ," Dissa says.

"Nobody comes out here," the man says. Thanks, random creepy people watcher.

" _Io says nobody comes out here except for that man who studies her behavior for some reason. It's peaceful, and there's a lot of space. We just can't bother her or touch her home_." I sigh.

"Fine, we'll come here and train. But for now, let's go find Tia," I say. Dissa nods, and follows me as I walk back to the city. I meet Tia at the gate to Route 5, and she seems glad that we found Dissa.

"And apparently Dissa also found a place for us to train," I say, and Tia seems delighted. I lead her to the clearing the mysterious woman lives in, and Tia brings out Sandile and Sigilyph. We face off, but I'm able to crush her in a double battle. So Tia won't be any help for getting stronger. Tia apologizes, and promises to be useful in other ways. Apparently, she's good at finding healing herbs and berries, and she can make medicine from these plants. I have my girls fight each other for a more even matchup. However, I eventually get the impression that we're not getting anywhere, and I sit heavily against a tree in frustration.

The woman watches us from the window of her camper, and the man watches her, stealing an occasional glance at us. The woman walks from her camper, and kneels beside my Pokémon, who are frustrated as well. She says something to them, and then walks over to me. She pulls me to my feet, and silently gestures towards my Pokémon. I tilt my head, confused. Her face remains emotionless, and she grabs my arms, manipulating them into a slightly different position. She does the same for my legs, and gestures for me to stand still. Pardin then steps forward, and I see that the woman has made me stand in the exact position Pardin does when standing on her hind legs.

Pardin then goes through her attacking moves, and I study her movements as she spins and kicks and swipes her paws. The woman then gestures for me to imitate her. I attempt to mimic Pardin's movements, feeling utterly silly. Pardin walks up to me.

" _She wants you to feel my movements, be able to know how my body works. That's when, she said, you'll be able to understand my battling style and be able to make us both stronger. You'll do this with Selva as well._ " I sigh, exhausted. My shirt is soaked with sweat from the exercise. I take my shirt off and keep trying, following Pardin's directions. We keep doing this all afternoon, and when the sun begins to go down, the woman stops us.

" _Io says that we should camp out here in order to become closer together and with nature_ ," Selva says. I sigh.

"At this point, I'm willing to try pretty much anything," I say. I give my tent to Tia and tell her to set it up. I run back to the Pokémon center with Pardin on my shoulder, as the rest of my girls have stayed behind to help Tia.

"I refuse to camp out here, but I'll visit," Tia says.

I return Venom and gather my belongings I left in the room. I return to the clearing and Tia passes the camping baton to me. She returns to the Pokémon center, and I finish setting up camp next to Io's camper. Io makes me bathe in the river behind her camper, and I wash my sweaty clothes, too. Io hangs them from her clothesline. I sleep in the tent with my girls piled on me. Dissa sleeps separate from us, but in the tent nonetheless.

The next morning, Io wakes us up and serves us a natural breakfast of berries, nuts and other edible plants. She then has us start training. I take my shirt off in anticipation for the workout I'm about to go through. Io has me run my hands across Pardin's body, feeling her muscles and figuring out how she moves. Pardin smiles naughtily at me, and I blush. She's enjoying being handled by me. I then try to imitate her body's movements again and again. We take short breaks of about five minutes every hour. Around two o'clock we break for lunch, eating more berries, nuts, and other plants. Selva informs me that Io told her that these will help me with strength and endurance. Tia comes to visit and watches for a few hours before going back to town. My other girls watch, or have play fights amongst themselves. Dissa watches, or simply stares into space.

This routine continues for the next several days. Eventually, I get the hang of Pardin's movements. I can see how her body bunches up and how her muscles tense before she moves. She and I are able to move in unison when I'm watching her. I grin widely, thrilled that I've mastered Pardin's body. Io silently convinces the strange man to fight me. We stand, staring at each other.

"I warn you, I won't go easy on you," he warns, and he runs at me, drawing his fist back to punch me. Going over Pardin's body in my head, I duck under his incoming fist, slamming my elbow into his stomach. He doubles over, and I kick his head, sending him sprawling. He stands up shakily, holding his stomach.

"Hands-on research," he coughs, smiling. I shake my head. Pardin and I then face off, and Pardin doesn't pull any punches. It's a lot harder to fight someone that's less than half your size. She leaps onto my back, using Fake Out to distract me. She then slams her paw into the back of my head, making me faceplant to the ground. This will be much harder than I initially thought. Io has me imitate Pardin some more, and really forces me to study her body. Afrer many failed attemps at even touching Pardin during our duels, Io sighs, sending me and Pardin to the tent. She zips it up after us, and we sit inside the tent in silence for about a minute.

" _Io says we should be able to get completely 'familiar' with each other in here_ ," Pardin says, grinning wickedly.

"Does that mean what you're implying?" I ask. Pardin nods.

" _Get naked, I want to 'study' your body_ ," she purrs. I sigh, and obey. At first, that is exactly what she does, feeling my arms, legs, and torso. She feels my muscles, mentioning that I've gained some during the training.

"Well I'd sure hope so," I say. This has been rough. I have bruises from Pardin, and imitating her movements is a lot harder than it looks. Pardin then grabs my dick in her paws, stroking it, teasing me.

" _Now it's your turn_ ," she purrs, getting on top of me. " _Touch me, figure out how I move, how my body works_." She straddles my stomach as best as her small body will allow, and I touch her, feeling her arms, legs, and torso. I then grin and lower my hands, rubbing her pussy. Pardin moans, grabbing my hand with her paws, stopping my movement.

" _Get inside me_ ," she mews, desperate. She hops on my dick, and I grab her hips, lowering her down on me. I'm suddenly acutely aware of her body, and as I thrust in and out of her, I notice how her legs and lower body move. Pardin rests her paws on my hands, and I grab her arms, feeling how her muscles flex and unflex with my thrusts. Pardin moans loudly, and I'm positive everyone outside can hear her. But at this point, I don't care. Selva already knows, Leafa for sure has guessed, and Zora and Dissa would have found out eventually. The man is probably too busy focusing on Io to pay attention, and Io apparently wanted us to do this. I can see why. I can feel and understand Pardin's body much more than I was able to before.

Pardin suddenly stops me, and gets off my dick. She puts my dick in her mouth, sucking on it. She rests her body on my stomach and continues sucking my dick. I finger her, and she moans, the vibrations making her blowjob feel even better. She cums on my hand, and I push her head as far down on my dick as she can go with the other as she moans and I cum in her mouth. We clean up and exit the tent. Io seems satisfied, and has us face off again.

Pardin smirks and rushes me. I watch her muscles bunch just before she raises her arms to use Fake Out. I sidestep her attack, and manage to grab her and hold her fast. I look to Io and she nods approvingly. She has us do this several more times, and each time, I evade Pardin's attacks and counter-attack by grabbing her. After a few more hours of training, Io seems satisfied and allows us to retire early. I bathe with Pardin in the river, and we fall asleep almost immediately once we lay down.

The next morning, Io starts me training with Selva. Selva teaches me how to move almost like a liquid, flowing with her snakelike body. After going through this with Pardin, it's much easier to understand the process. When I get the hang of her movements, Io has us fight. Selva flows around my arms and body, almost immediately restraining me by wrapping herself around me. Io sends us into the tent.

" _I'm not having sex with you_ ," Selva immediately informs me.

"I thought not, but what exactly does Io want us to do in here?" I ask, sitting back on my hands.

" _I don't know…. Cuddle_?" Selva suggests. I shrug.

"Do you think that will help?" I ask.

" _Maybe_ ," Selva replies. Selva crawls into my lap and I wrap my arms around her, feeling her body. I feel her sinewy muscles and strong tail. Her body is denser than I expected, but very flexible. She also feels my body with her vines, as well as her short arms. Eventually, Selva dozes off, and I smile at her sleeping form in my arms. I soon follow her into the realm of unconsciousness.

I wake up to the tent zipper being opened and closed loudly. I sit up, and Selva wakes up, yawning. Io stares at us from outside, and we exit the tent. It must have been a short power nap, because I feel refreshed. We face off, and I avoid Selva's coils and dominate her. I watch her body as she continually tries to restrain or unbalance me in different ways and different angles. Every time, I grab ahold of her and keep her from winning. Selva smiles shyly and I hug her tightly.

The next day, instead of training physically, Io trains me emotionally. Since Dissa has no physical body, there's no point in trying to understand her physically. And there is no point in training with Leafa, Zora, or Venom, because their bodies are so severely different from mine. Venom and Leafa don't even have any visible limbs. And since Venom is basically dormant, there's no point in trying to talk to her. Io has me and Dissa take walks together. We connect somewhat during these walks. I hold mostly one-sided conversations, talking about my life, my family, and my experiences as a trainer.

At night, however, Dissa becomes the dominant converser. She informs me that she was once human, and the information in my book confirms that all Yamask were once human, and that their masks are what they looked like in their previous life. She tells me about her life as both a human and a Pokémon. As a human, she lived a happy, peaceful life. She doesn't know how much time has passed since she died, but she remembers some details about her previous life.

She was a potter's daughter, and was supposed to be married to a young man whom she didn't know. However, before that could happen, she was killed in a tragic accident. She was buried and sometime later, woke up as a Yamask. She learned how to be a Pokémon, and fought with other Pokémon to survive. We cry together, and she surprises me with a hug after the third night of talking. My other girls sleep while we talk.

After Io decides I'm finished with my training with Dissa, she faces off with me herself. We stare at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. She sighs, and rushes me. I flow with the rhythm of her body, imitating how Selva's body flows, and Pardin's evasive maneuvers. Io tries to hit me, but I usually evade and follow her attacks through with a powerful counterattack, either throwing her over my shoulder with her own momentum, or kneeing her in the stomach. However, many of my attacks are dodged as well.

After many duels, and both of us are battered with each other's attacks, Io whistles, and a small yellow and white Pokémon glides from the trees onto her shoulder. It has big ears and yellow cheeks, and has yellow flaps of skin running from its hands to its feet, allowing it to glide from place to place. According to my book, this Pokémon is an Emolga.

" _She wants your body to get used to electricity_ ," Pardin explains. " _Her theory is that, now that you know how to fight like a Pokémon, you may as well get used to fighting Pokémon_." Emolga crackles with electricity and lets out a small burst, and it hits me like a truck. My body convulses with pain and electricity, my muscles freeze up, and I fall to the ground. I remain paralyzed for a few minutes, and my body shakes and sweats profusely.

" _Your skin needs to be dry to resist electricity properly_ ," Pardin scolds. I scowl, and Emolga shocks me again. After I recover, Io spends several hours teaching me how to calm myself down so I don't sweat as much. When Emolga shocks me, this time, it takes a stronger current to make me fall over. After several days of nearly constant electric shocks running through my body, several painful electric burns, and many, many periods of unconsciousness, I'm able to resist most electric attacks Emolga throws at me. While it still hurts very much, if I'm not sweating too much I can stand the electricity.

Io then has me and Dissa stand next to each other. She gestures to Dissa, then to me. Dissa gasps, and shakes her head. Io nods, eyes hard. Dissa looks up at me, takes her mask from her tail-like appendage, and holds it up to me.

"What's this for?" I ask, not wanting to take it from her.

" _Io wants you to put it on_ ," Dissa says.

"That somehow feels like an invasion of your personal space," I say, kind of scared and creeped out by the human face on the mask.

" _Just do it_ ," Dissa sighs.

"What will happen if I do?" I ask.

" _I don't know, but if Io wants you to do it, it must be important_ ," Dissa replies. I sigh in defeat. I take the mask from her, and immediately a chill runs through my body. The mask itself feels cold, and it appears to be made out of stone. Io gestures for me to put it on. I sigh again, and comply. Suddenly, my head starts to feel like it's being split in half, and my vision goes blurry. I can see out of my eyes, but it also feels like I'm watching a first person view of someone else. The edges of my vision are shadowed, probably because of the mask. I try to move my arms, but I can't. I see my hands in front of my face, but I'm not the one moving them. My hands and arms appear to be radiating a faint purple aura.

" _What's happening_?" I hear Dissa's voice in my head. " _Why am I in your body_?" My head looks at Io, who nods, hand on her chin, studying me. Or is it us? My hands reach up and pull off the mask. I feel the head splitting pain again, and I'm shoved back into my eyes. I fall to my knees, and retch, almost throwing up. I look up to see Dissa looking down at me, a worried look on her face. Her mask is laying on the ground in front of me. I manage to move, and I sit down, breathing ragged and heavy. Io beckons Dissa over to her, and they share a whispered conversation. Dissa floats back over to me, looking scared.

" _Io says that whenever you put on my mask, I possess your body_ ," she says, voice breaking.

"Holy shit," I gasp. "And why did she want us to do that again?"

" _She says it will help us understand each other on a more physical level_ ," Dissa replies.

"Well it fucking blows," I groan; my head is pounding.

" _It wasn't very painful for me_ ," Dissa admits. " _It felt weird, but not painful_."

" _She wants us to do this every day, whenever your head is feeling well enough_."

"Well as you can probably tell, my head feels like shit," I gripe.

" _I'm sorry_ ," Dissa apologizes.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know what would happen. And Io is just trying to help us. I'll be fine," I assure her, drawing her in for a hug. She cuddles up to me, and I lay on the ground, holding her as tight as I can, finding it difficult due to her strange physical properties.

For the next three days, Io has Dissa possess me with her mask, and after getting over the pain, I find it surprisingly easy to stay in that state. Dissa and I work together to control my body, and we're able to use her attacks. Watching flames appear from my hands is wicked cool. After mastering it, Io finally seems satisfied with my training. She has me pack up all my things, and has me and my girls stand in a line in front of her. She assesses us, and nods in approval. She then smiles.

"Go out there and prove to me you are who I think you can be," she says, her voice strangely musical. I blink in surprise, and her face returns to her normal unemotional look.

"Who are you?" I ask. Io smirks and shoos us away, turning and walking back into her camper. My girls and I look at each other, confused, but we exit the clearing and walk back to Nimbasa City, feeling much better than before, both about challenging the gym and each other.


	20. Chapter 20: Bike Ride

**Chapter 20: Bike Ride**

Instead of challenging the gym right away, I decide to bring the fossil Tia gave me back to Nacrene City and have Lenora look at it. I leave Tia in Nimbasa City, and ride my bike down the road to Route 4. I keep my girls in their Pokéballs, but Pardin and Dissa insist on holding on to me. Pardin rides in my hood and Dissa holds on to my backpack. We have a pleasant ride, the wind flowing past us and a clear sky showing no promise of a change in weather. I walk my bike through the construction camp, then ride to Castelia City.

We stop and eat by the fountain before continuing to bike through the city. Pardin points out landmarks to Dissa, and I smile as Dissa exclaims in awe at the huge buildings and the sights. We bike across Skyarrow Bridge, and down the road through Pinwheel Forest. Upon arriving in Nacrene City, I decide to take a detour. I steer away from the museum and bike towards my house, hoping to surprise my mom. I try to be as quiet as I can, and fold up my bike, fastening it to my backpack. I walk to the front door, and open it, wincing as the door squeals as it opens.

I don't hear anything from inside, and I close the door as quietly as I can. I tiptoe through my house, searching for my mom. I find her in her bedroom, laying on the bed and reading a book. I grin, and send Pardin through the ajar door. She pads across the room and jumps onto the bed, startling my mom. She gasps in surprise, and drops her book. I then burst through the door, throwing all my Pokéballs, and my mom is surrounded by my girls.

"Jesus Christ, Travis, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" my mom exclaims, and I laugh.

"You're not that old," I say, chuckling. My mom looks around at my Pokémon, shaking her head.

"You've gotten yourself quite a team here," she says. She pets Zora's head and studies Dissa.

"Not to mention a very interesting bunch," she continues. "But anyway. What brings you here?"

"I have something I'd like dad and Lenora to look at," I reply.

"Well your father is at work of course," my mom says, glancing at Venom's immobile shape.

"Is that one okay? It's not moving…" she says, pointing to Venom.

"She's fine, she's just asleep. She sleeps all the time because she's storing energy for when she evolves. She only moves when she needs to," I answer.

"Well if you want to talk to your father, I'd suggest you hop to it," my mom says, sitting up on the edge of the bed with Zora in her lap. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your adventures." I hug her, return Venom, and my girls take their places on and around me. We walk out of my house and towards the museum. I walk in the door, and greet the secretaries.

"I'd like to see my dad, and Lenora if possible," I say.

"You're Travis, right? Your father talks about you a lot," the secretary answers, smiling. She reaches for a phone, and dials a few numbers.

"Hello, this is the front desk, there is a boy named Travis here to see his father. He also said he's like to see Lenora, too, if she's available." She listens for a few seconds, and puts the phone back in its cradle.

"Your father will be right up to see you, and Lenora will be here shortly," she informs me. I thank her and sit on a bench. I don't have to wait long before a door opens, and my dad bursts through. His eyes find me, and I stand up. He hugs me tightly, his lab coat almost covering me.

"What are you doing back in town?" he asks me after letting go.

"I have something I'd like you and Lenora to look at," I say. He strokes his chin, and gestures for me to follow him. I follow him through the door he came out of, and down a flight of stairs. He leads me through a hallway with many doors, and opens one, ushering me in. Inside is like a laboratory mixed with a museum. There are many fossils and bones displayed on shelves with labels, but a large table in the middle, along with counters crowded with equipment reveals the room's true purpose. My girls spread out, exploring the room's contents.

"Now, what is it you want to show me?" my dad asks, clearing some space on the center table. I take off my backpack, and pull out the fossil, which I wrapped in my clothes to protect it. I set it on the table and unwrap it. My dad's eyes widen, and he stares at it.

"Hot damn, Travis," he says in awe. "Where did you find this?"

"An acquaintance of mine found it in the Relic Castle," I reply. My dad washes his hands, puts on a pair of gloves, puts on a pair of medical lenses, the scopes obscuring his eyes from view. He takes a brush to the fossil, brushing away any excess dirt and rock, studying the fossil. He does this for several minutes, then takes off the lenses.

"This is possibly the most intact Tirtouga fossil I've ever seen," he says, taking off the gloves.

"Tirtouga?" I ask.

"Yes, Tirtouga. It's an ancient turtle Pokémon, alive around one hundred million years ago. Your friend had a lucky find."

"So what can you do with it?" I ask. My dad turns to me, an excited look in his eyes.

"We can turn it back into a Pokémon!" he exclaims. We hear a crash, and I look up to see Pardin standing guiltily on a countertop over a shattered beaker on the floor.

"Pardin…" I say warningly. She slinks onto the floor and back into my hood.

"It's a good thing that was empty," my dad mutters. I return my girls into their Pokéballs so they don't make a mess.

"Now, follow me," my dad says. He practically runs from the room, and I scramble to pick up my backpack and the fossil and follow him. He leads me down another flight of stairs, and into an enormous room. There are enormous test tubes, all full of a strange blue liquid, and all but one have an "Out of Order" sign taped to them. My dad phones Lenora, telling her to come down to the "Restoration Room" immediately. She must have heard the excitement and urgency in his voice, because she comes down the stairs within a few minutes.

"What is it? What's so important?" she asks, hands on her hips. My dad gestures to the fossil in my arms, and Lenora gasps. She studies the fossil in my arms, reluctant to touch it, almost as if she did it would crumble on contact.

"I was hoping we could try and restore it," my dad says excitedly, and Lenora looks at him.

"We could very well do that," she says, taking the fossil off my hands, carrying it gently over to the machine without the "Out of Order" sign. She places the fossil on the platform next to the machine, and presses a few buttons on the monitor. The tube opens, and the fossil slides inside. The tube closes, and the blue liquid flows from the top, covering the fossil. The machine begins to hum, and the process begins.

"This will take a few hours, so I suggest you take a walk so your Pokémon can stretch their legs," Lenora informs me. I nod, and my dad guides me back upstairs. I let my girls out once we're outside, and I let them run around outside the museum. Zora and Pardin chase each other around while Leafa and Selva watch, laughing as the two dark types wrestle. Venom stays asleep, and I watch as she settles against the bench, the sunlight shining on her shell and the breeze blowing against her. Dissa floats beside me on the bench and we enjoy the afternoon. I eventually doze off.

"Hey, wake up!"

I open my eyes, groaning at the sudden awakening. My dad is staring down at me, a stupid grin on his face. My girls are all standing on the bench around me, looking to me in anticipation.

"It's time," my dad says. I stand up, return Venom, and Zora, Leafa, and Pardin climb into their places. I follow my dad into the museum, Selva and Dissa following me. We walk down the stairs, and a feeling of excitement washing over me. I can feel the buzz of excitement among my girls. Did the revival of my fossil actually work? My dad holds open the door of the restoration room, and we walk in. I gasp.

Inside the tube is a blue turtle-like Pokémon, long fins curled against its body, with grey bumps on its front fins and a gray band on its face. Under its closed eyes are light blue stripes, and its body in encased in a gray shell. Lenora is standing by the tube, hands on her hips, a look of immense pride and satisfaction on her face. She spreads her arms and embraces me.

"Thank you for allowing us to witness this incredible process. The machine works wonderfully, and we can now start work on finishing the rest of them. We'll have to start combing the Relic Castle just in case there are more fossils," she says. She lets me go, and pulls a Pokéball from her pocket. She fits the Pokéball into a half-spherical slot on the machine, and a greenish light appears inside the tube, lighting up the liquid, and capturing the Pokémon inside. Lenora takes the Pokéball and hands it to me.

"I believe this is yours," she says. "You might want to find some water to let it out into. There might be some shock to suddenly being alive again, and it might feel more comfortable and take it better if it's in its home element." I take the ball and look at it, awe surrounding the ancient Pokémon in my hands.

"If it helps, there are several large ponds in Pinwheel Forest," my dad offers. "They're a bit off-road, but you should be able to find one that suits your needs." I don't say anything, my girls and I still staring at the Pokéball in amazement.

"Well don't stand around gawking, boy, go see what this thing looks like when its awake!" Lenora barks, and I jump to attention.

"There is one thing I'd like you to do for me," my dad says, sounding reluctant. I turn to him.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I'd like for you to take my assistant with you so he can study the Tirtouga," he says, awkwardly cleaning his glasses on his lab coat. I groan. Not another person to interrupt my adventure.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but we should have someone in the field to watch the fossil Pokémon develop, see what it does as it grows, how it reacts to the modern world, et cetera," Lenora says.

"I know you tend to be a loner, but humans are social creatures, and you need some other people around you more than you think," my dad says. "He'll be ready soon. I'll let him introduce himself."

I leave them to clean up the restoration room as I walk up the stairs and outside to wait for my dad's assistant. I didn't even know he had an assistant. I guess he would need some help in cleaning up his workspace and helping him research and experiment. There is only so much a man can do on his own. And yet, despite that, I insist on going it alone. Heh.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting!" My girls and I turn to see a lanky redhead with cargo shorts, many-pocketed tan jacket, long white socks, thick boots, and a backpack run out of the museum waving a tablet of some kind. He almost trips, narrowly avoiding which would have been a hilarious faceplant, as he runs up to me, breathing heavily.

"Now, let's get to it," he says enthusiastically, still breathing hard. I shrug and start walking towards Pinwheel Forest. He follows me, furiously tapping on the screen of his tablet, probably taking notes on me and my girls.

"My name is Darren, by the way," he says, sounding friendly enough.

"Travis," I reply.

"I know who you are. The whole museum staff knows about you. You helped return Lenora's precious dragon skull after Team Plasma stole it! And not to mention the son of Lenora's right-hand man!" I don't reply, and he gets the hint to shut up. After a while, I find a hill in Pinwheel Forest leading down to a large pond. We walk cautiously down the hill, but Darren manages to trip on his own feet and he goes tumbling down. I chuckle to myself at his clumsiness, and hope he didn't hurt himself too badly. Hauling an injured assistant back to my dad would not be pleasant. I join him at the bottom of the hill, and walk past his mangled body to the water.

"Wait! Don't let it out before I'm ready!" Darren exclaims, jumping to his feet and brushing himself off, brass stains littering his light-colored clothes. He holds up his tablet, almost like he's taking a picture.

"Okay, go."

I sigh, and toss Tirtouga's Pokéball. It spins twice before opening and releasing the prehistoric Pokémon into the pond. The light fades, revealing the turtle floating serenely on the water's surface, eyes closed like they were in the tube. Suddenly, its eyes open, and it looks around, almost seeming calm and uncaring about its surroundings. It yawns, then its eyes snap open all the way.

" _What_?" it screeches in a throaty, almost rocky voice.

"Incredible!" Darren gasps.

" _Where am I_? _What are you_?" Tirtouga screams at us. I kneel by the water's edge, and Darren shifts his position to get a better angle.

" _Don't move_!" Tirtouga yells, five glowing rocks suddenly appearing, floating around it. The rocks throw themselves at Darren one by one, and he yelps, evading each one, managing to catch the entire ordeal on his tablet, which I assume is recording video.

"Calm down," I command gently, and Tirtouga's attention is drawn to me.

" _Where am I_? _What are you_?" it asks again.

"You're in the Pinwheel Forest of the Unova Region. My name is Travis. I'm a human," I answer.

" _What's a 'Unova Region'_? _What's a 'Pinwheel'_?" Tirtouga asks.

"The Unova Region is one among many regions in this where Pokémon such as yourself can be found," I reply. "And the Pinwheel Forest is just the name of this place."

" _What happened_? _Where's the ocean_? _What happened while I was asleep_?" the confused and possible panicking Pokémon asks.

"The ocean is just that way," I point towards Skyarrow Bridge. "As for what happened, well you probably won't believe me."

" _Tell me_ ," Tirtouga insists. I sigh.

"Well… you died," I say bluntly. Tirtouga stares at me.

" _You're lying_ ," he accuses.

"I told you," I sigh again.

"How long have I been asleep?" Tirtouga asks.

"Well, if I had to give an accurate estimate, I'd say… about one hundred million years, give or take" I answer. Tirtouga stares at me, eyes starting to water.

" _Where… what… how…_ " the tears start to overflow, and he starts bawling. I pull him to me by his fin, and wrap my arms around his shell. He buries his head into my shirt, continuing to cry and soaking my shirt with tears and pond water. After he calms down, I let him go, and he looks at me.

" _So what happens now_?" he asks.

"I should explain the roles of human and Pokémon," I say, holding up Tirtouga's Pokéball. "This is a Pokéball. It's an ingenious device used for the capturing and storage of Pokémon of any size. Humans capture Pokémon, willingly or unwillingly in these and use them for a variety of purposes. Some Pokémon are pets and companions, some are work partners, and some are battle partners. You are the first Pokémon I've gotten that didn't have a choice in being captured. All these Pokémon," I gesture to my girls, "came with me of their own accord. I would like for you to have that choice as well. You'll be a member of my team, and we will explore the Unova Region together, battling and having fun along the way. What do you say?"

Tirtouga looks at me and his Pokéball, then to my girls. He sighs, lightly splashing the pond water.

" _I suppose I don't have any other options_ ," he says. " _And you seem nice enough_."

"You could choose to remain wild. If you want me to I'll release you and you could live your life with other wild Pokémon. Although, I will warn you, that since you're a rare Pokémon, there will be a considerable amount of people who will want to get their hands on you," I say. Tirtouga shakes his head.

" _I'll remain with you. It would be difficult to get used to this new world on my own, and even if I did make new friends, I doubt they'd be able to show me more than the oceans_." I nod, and hold out my hand.

"Welcome to the team," I say, and he puts his fin in my palm. "I'll name you Shello."

" _Has a nice ring to it_ ," he admits.

"That. Was. Incredible!" Darren exclaims. He runs around, taking pictures of me and Shello, grinning from ear to ear. "It's almost as if you two were communicating!" Shello looks at me, a confused look on his face.

" _But we were communicating_ ," he says. I smile.

"Nowadays, a human who can communicate with Pokémon is extremely rare," I explain. "And he doesn't know that I can do that." Shello grins.

"This is the best day of my life!" Darren declares, writing down notes on the tablet. "This is only my first entry of my journal for this journey but there's already so much content! My boss will be so proud!"

"Okay, Darren," I call, "I hope you're in for a run, because I'm going to ride my bike back to Nimbasa City, and I won't wait up."

"Oh, don't worry," Darren says, perking up. He pulls off his backpack and rummages through it, pulling out a folding bike similar to mine. "I have one too." Damn. For a second I thought I could leave this annoying boy behind. Suddenly I get a feeling similar to the one I had last time I was here. We're being watched. My girls and Shello feel it, too.

"Well, let's go," I say, unnerved. I hold out Shello's Pokéball. "You'll have to stay in here for the time being. There's no room for you to stay out while I'm riding my bike." Shello nods, and I return him, followed by Zora, Leafa and Selva. Darren leads the charge back up the hill to the road, and we unfold our bikes. We ride down the road to Skyarrow Bridge, Pardin, Dissa and I enjoying the breeze. We ride through Castelia City, and I stop by the trinket shop and buy a bracelet that goes around Shello's fin, and we manage to make it to the construction camp on Route 4 by sundown. We ride by streetlight up the road to Nimbasa City, and immediately head for the Pokémon center.

"You just caught me," Tia says, rising from a couch to greet us inside the lobby. "I was a few minutes away from giving up for the night and going to bed."

"Well I'm glad we could catch you," I say, almost sincerely. "This is Darren," I introduce him, holding out my arm towards him.

"I'm his father's assistant," Darren interrupts. "He's a brilliant paleontologist, and I'm currently travelling with Travis here in order to study the fossil Pokémon they recently revived at the museum." Tia's eyes widen.

"You actually revived that fossil I found?" she asks, astounded.

I toss Shello's Pokéball, and he appears in a flash of light. Tia kneels next to him, studying him.

"Incredible. Who knew there was technology that could turn a chunk of rock into a Pokémon!" I return Shello, and Tia looks up, disappointed.

"I think we should all get to bed," I say, and Darren and I get rooms. I close the door behind me, thankful I don't have to share a bedroom with him. I let my Pokémon out of their Pokéballs, and toss my jacket, pants, and backpack to the floor. My girls introduce themselves to Shello, and they seem to get along well. I myself am exhausted from a long day of riding my bike. My girls eventually stop conversing with Shello and come cuddle around me. Shello and Venom both sleep in their own corners, Shello on a pillow I tossed him. I smile; life just keeps getting better, and I get to enjoy the little things, like cuddling with the ones I love most.


	21. Chapter 21: Electrifying Battle

**Chapter 21: Electrifying Battle**

I wake up to a loud knocking sound.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's time to get up and adventure!" I hear Darren's voice exclaim excitedly. I groan, and my Pokémon express similar reactions. I get up and pull on my pants. There's no point in trying to fall back asleep if Darren will just keep coming back. I put on my jacket and backpack and return Venom. My girls take their places, and I pick up Shello. I leave the room to see Darren and Tia waiting for me.

"It's about time!" Darren grins widely. "What adventures await us today?"

"Probably challenging the Gym," I yawn.

"Oooh, exciting!" Darren says, taking notes in his journal. Now that I'm thinking about battling the Nimbasa Gym leader, my tiredness is gone, replaced with solid determination. I lead my two companions out of the Pokémon Center and into the amusement park. I saw the gym while looking for those Team Plasma grunts. I see the neon sign, announcing "Gym." I stroll inside, surprised to find an entire roller coaster inside the Gym. A man wearing colorful sunglasses and a suit spots me, and trots over.

"Hello, you look confused. I bet you were expecting a Gym, huh?" he asks.

"Yeah," I reply, still confused.

"Well this building doubles as a Gym and a roller coaster. The Gym leader, Elesa, is this way." He turns and walks towards a gate in the center of the Gym. He opens the gate as a coaster car rumbles over us. He leads us down a pathway, surrounded by coaster tracks. At the very end, there is a battlefield, but its shrouded in darkness. There are several tall light poles lining the sides, all switched off. The man speaks into a walkie-talkie, asking if Elesa is ready to battle. He puts the device away and turns to us.

"Good news, Elesa doesn't have any appointments today. Lucky you. I should fill you in on some things: Elesa is a model, and uses electric-type Pokémon. She likes to put on a show whenever she battles, as she does with most things. His walkie talkie crackles, and he puts it to his ear. He grins, and pulls a microphone out of his pocket.

"By the way, what's your name?" he asks.

"Travis," I reply.

"Here we go, Travis!" he says cheerfully, and he presses a button mounted on a podium next to him. All the roller coasters come to a gradual stop, all with a good view of the battlefield. Giant neon signs light up on the walls, reading "Challenger Approaching" with a siren noise. Shit. I put my hands in my pockets and glare at the man as a spotlight appears on the man.

"Weeeeelcome to the Nimbasa City Gym!" the man yells into the microphone. "How's everybody doing today?" The crowd roars in response. He grins.

"I'm so glad to see everybody's having fun! But today is about to get even better!" The crowd roars again. "Because today, we have a special event for you all. Today, a challenger has dared to approach our beloved Gym Leader!" The crowd boos. I snicker to myself. Suddenly, a spotlight appears on me, and I narrow my eyes. My Pokémon all cover their eyes, protesting at the sudden bright light. The crowd boos again.

"Presenting the challenger: Travis!" the man shouts, and the crowd continues to boo. "And now, presenting the beautiful and talented… ELESA!" The lights near the opposite side of the battlefield light up, showering the opposite wall with colored lights. An automatic door opens, and a woman with blonde hair and a tight yellow and black themed outfit steps through. She's wearing some kind of headphones, but there are cords connected to the phones that go all the way down to her waist. She smiles and waves to the crowd. The screens on the walls are now playing a slideshow of Elesa in various outfits, most likely during modeling.

"Now, let's get this battle started!" the man shouts, and the crowd roars their approval. "The battle will be a three-on-three, so, Travis, make your choices wisely." Elesa grins at me, and my face remains emotionless. Tia and Darren have found seats on some benches next to the field.

"As a gracious host, I'll reveal my first Pokémon first!" Elesa calls, throwing a Pokéball onto the field. In a flash of light, an Emolga appears. I've never fought one before, unless you count the one that shocked me in Lostlorn Forest. It's an electric and flying type. I would use Shello, but he's a water type, and he's not very fast, so he would be defeated quickly. I chew on my thumbnail, trying to come up with a better option.

"Ooh, he appears to be nervous!" the announcer guy yells, and the crowd laughs. Fuck off, asswipes. I sigh, and pet Zora's head.

"Selva and Shello would get destroyed due to type disadvantage, Venom and Leafa wouldn't be able to hit it, and I think Zora should get some experience," I say, and Zora yips happily.

" _I won't let you down_!" she exclaims, leaping from my shoulder and onto the battlefield.

"The challenger has chosen his first Pokémon!" the announcer shouts. A diagram of a Zorua appears on the screens. "Zorua is quite a rare find. It's a dark type, known for its ability to create illusions around itself." The crowd oohs. Zorua suddenly transforms into an Emolga, snickering at the surprised look on the other Emolga's face.

"You may have the first attack, trainer," Elesa calls to me. I scowl.

"Zora, use Scary Face!" I call, and Zora barks, creating a purple replica of her face, and Emolga shudders, its speed lowering.

"Opening with a stat-decreasing move! This could be interesting!" the announcer yells. I wish he would shut up. A bead of sweat runs down my cheek, both from stress and the heat of all these lights. Pardin rubs my cheek with hers, Leafa does the same, Shello rubs my chin with his nose, and Dissa and Selva hug me.

"Thanks, guys," I whisper.

"Pursuit!" Elesa calls. Emolga disappears and reappears behind Zora, hitting her and knocking the illusion from her body.

"Faint Attack!" I call, and Zora disappears and reappears, slamming Emolga to the ground. "Fury Swipes!" I command, and Zora slashes over and over at Emolga's back.

"Volt Switch!" Elesa calls, and Emolga crackles with electricity. It shoots a circular bolt of elextricity, and it slams into Zora, then Emolga flies back to Elesa, returning itself to its Pokéball. Another beam of light from a different Pokéball on Elesa's person bursts onto the field, and reveals another Emolga. I sigh.

"Faint Attack," I call, and Zora does the same maneuver, knocking Emolga to the ground and using Fury Swipes on her own.

"A Pokémon that acts without a direct order from its trainer? This is sure to be an incredible battle!" the announcer yells.

"Pursuit!" Elesa calls, and Emolga disappears.

"Pursuit!" I mimic the gym leader, and Zora disappears as well. The two Pokémon attempt to hit each other, disappearing and reappearing around each other several times.

"Scary Face!" I call, and Zora creates the copy of her face, catching Emolga in its gaze, lowering its speed. "Now, Faint Attack!" I yell, and Zora appears behind Emolga, pinning it to the ground and using Fury Swipes. Emolga can't take anymore, and faints.

"And Emolga is unable to battle! That was impressive, Travis, but you don't have any idea what you're up against!" the announcer yells, and the crowd cheers. Elesa returns her Emolga, and throws another Pokéball, revealing the original Emolga. I think she'll probably use Volt Switch again and catch me off guard with a much stronger Pokémon.

"Faint Attack," I call, and Zora attacks Emolga.

"Volt Switch!" Elesa yells, as I suspected, and Emolga crackles with electricity, the bolt hitting Zora across the field and Emolga returning to Elesa. Another beam of light appears, and fades, revealing a large zebra-like Pokémon with a white mane running down its back, ending in a jagged tail. It paws the ground, and snorts menacingly. I look in my book and discover that this Pokémon is a Zebstrika, the evolution of Blitzle.

"Quick Attack!" Elesa calls, and Zebstrika glows white, dashing at Zora, who is unable to evade the speedy attack. The larger Pokémon crashes into her, sending her flying towards me. I run and catch her, but she's fainted. I return her to her Pokéball, glowering at the huge zebra on the field.

"Zorua is unable to battle!" the announcer yells, and the crowd roars. "This is Elesa's special Pokémon, challenger, you don't stand a chance now!" I snort.

"I've fought much stronger Pokémon," I growl, surprised to hear my voice amplified through the building. The crowd gasps.

"Them's fighting words!" the announcer screams into the microphone. Elesa smirks at me, and I sneer back.

"I think it's your turn, Pardin," I say, and Pardin crawls from my hood, and I hold my arm out. She walks onto my forearm and sticks out her tongue at Zebstrika.

"That there is a Purrloin. Quite a common sighting, and is known for acting cute and stealing peoples' valuables," the announcer says as a diagram of a Purrloin appears on the screens. Pardin stiffens.

"Don't worry, you're as unique as they come. And you're not a thief," I assure her. Pardin grins.

" _I stole your virginity_ ," she mews, and I laugh. She licks my cheek and hugs my head, and the crowd awws. She then jumps onto the field, facing the much bigger Pokémon without fear.

"Quick Attack!" Elesa yells, and Zebstrika charges Pardin. Pardin is faster than Zora, however, and uses Pursuit to disappear, landing on Zebstrika's head. She claps her paws in front of its face, making it flinch with Fake Out. She then slams her paw into the side of its head, sending it staggering with Assurance.

"Volt Switch!" Elesa calls, and Zebtrika's body is surrounded with electricity. It launches a bolt which hits Pardin directly, sending her flying, and Zebstrika flies back to Elesa. In a flash of light, her remaining Emolga reappears. Pardin manages to land gracefully, even though the attack did a lot of damage. Pardin scuffles with Emolga a little, but in the end, knocks it out with Pursuit. Elesa returns Emolga and Pardin reappears on my side of the field.

"Emolga is unable to battle!" the announcer shouts, and the crowd makes more noise. I grit my teeth.

" _Bring it on_!" Pardin hisses. Elesa throws out Zebtrika again. Zebstrika paws the ground and snorts.

"Flame Charge!" Zebstika's body is engulfed in flames and it charges Pardin, who barely manages to evade as the fiery zebra streaks past her. The Pokémon slows down and turns around, charging at her again. This time, it connects, and Pardin is thrown across the field.

"Quick Attack!" Elesa calls, and Zebstrika turns, body glowing white. It dashes at Pardin, slamming into her, sending her flying. I cover my mouth with my hand. She can't take much more of this…

"Spark!" Elesa yells, and Zebstrika crackles with electricity before bearing down on Pardin for the final blow. Suddenly, my legs move on their own, and I charge to meet Zebstrika, dropping Shello and throwing Leafa off my shoulder in the process. Zebstrika's eyes widen in surprise when it sees me running at it, and I grab onto the two projecting horn-like parts of its mane, and hold fast, stopping it in its tracks, dust billowing around us. The crowd gasps, and Elesa and the announcer yell in surprise. Electricity runs through my body, and I can feel my consciousness slipping.

"Dissa now!" I yell, and Dissa appears next to me. She returns Pardin to her Pokéball and slaps her mask on my face, possessing me.

"Will-O-Wisp!" Purple flames appear in my hands and burn into Zebstrika. "Hex!" A purple sphere slams into the Pokémon, sending it flying.

"Go!" I pull off the mask, and Dissa flies at Zebstrika. "Night Shade!" I yell, and Dissa glows dark purple, sending dark crimson waves at Zebstrika. When the waves expand and hit the Pokémon, it glows purple as well, and faints. The dust around me clears, and I start feeling the effects of the electricity. I struggle to stay conscious. I look down at my arms, and see several large burns. Shit.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle. The winner is the challenger, Travis," the announcer says soberly. The crowd remains silent.

"Are you okay?" Elesa calls as she returns Zebstrika and runs towards me. The announcer drops his microphone and follows suit, running to me to make sure I'm alright. Unfortunately, I'm not alright, and electricity crackles across my body. I grin, and look up at the ceiling. I start laughing, and it turns maniacal. I lose all feeling as the announcer calls for a stretcher and I'm wheeled out of the room.

"How are you feeling?" the nurse asks. I groan, massaging my bandaged arms, which are throbbing in pain.

"Except for the fact that I basically got struck by lightning, pretty good," I reply.

"Well that's what happens when you touch a Zebstrika's mane while it's charging electricity," the nurse scolds. "You're lucky your body seems to have a small resistance to electricity and that you heal faster than most people. You could have died."

"I was protecting my Pokémon, that's all I care about," I say, crossing my arms and looking at the wall. The nurse sighs.

"Elesa and your friends wanted to see you. I'll let them in now," she says, and walks to the door. Soon, she returns with the three in tow.

"That was admirable, and very, very stupid," Elesa says, her blue eyes staring at me seriously.

"That was amazing! I'm so glad I was recording!" Darren exclaims, cradling his tablet proudly.

"Are you okay?" Tia asks.

"I'm fine," I wave it off.

"He has severe electric burns on his arms. Luckily, his body heals fast and has some resistance to electricity, otherwise he probably would take much longer to heal or might not be alive," the nurse says. "You should have been knocked unconscious at least."

"I was, for a few seconds," I say, chuckling to myself.

"You should be able to get up and walk in a few days," the nurse says, folding her arms.

"Screw that," I say, and I pull the blanket away from my legs, wincing at the pain in my arms. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and try to stand. I stumble, and Elesa catches me.

"Get back in bed, mister," the nurse snaps.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me, nurse," I chuckle.

"I think his head is worse off than we thought…" the nurse says thoughtfully. Elesa helps me back to bed and pulls the blanket back up.

"I think he'll heal faster if he's with his Pokémon," Tia pipes up.

"How would that help? We've been keeping them out to avoid them accidentally hurting him," the nurse says.

"He's very close to them. Much closer than most trainers I think. They all have a strong bond with him, and I think their presence would help," Tia replies.

"Fine," the nurse sighs. "Bring them in."

Darren brings out three Pokéballs and tosses them. In a flash of light, Venom, Pardin, and Zora appear. Zora and Pardin immediately jump onto the bed and curl up next to me. Venom seems to sense my condition and rolls so she's resting next to the bed, and I rest one hand on her shell. Tia opens the door and Selva runs in, followed by Dissa floating and Leafa and Shello crawling as fast as they can. Leafa uses String Shot to climb onto the bed and snuggles in next Pardin. Dissa levitates onto the bed and rests on my chest. Selva climbs up then lifts Shello with Vine Whip and the two cuddle up next to me. I smile, and fall asleep.

"You've earned this," Elesa says, handing me a badge in the shape of a lightning bolt. I put it with the others and flex my arms.

"You're sure you feel okay?" she asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm sure," I reply. I scratch at the healing burns on my arms. Elesa grabs my wrists and holds them up.

"The nurse said not to do that! They'll heal slower if you play with them!" she exclaims. I groan.

"But they itch!" I protest.

"You're acting like a child," Elesa scolds me. I smile, and she smiles back.

"I should get going," I say, "I shouldn't keep my traveling companions waiting."

"Traveling companions? Aren't they your friends?" Elesa asks, sounding puzzled. I turn to her, eyes cold.

"No. Tia wanted to come with me and I let her because she's not too annoying. Darren is my father's assistant and is along for the ride to study my Pokémon," I say.

"Oh," Elesa says. I turn and walk out of the gym, joining Darren and Tia outside. Zora and Leafa are on my shoulders as usual, Pardin is in my hood, Selva is walking, Dissa is floating, and I'm carrying Shello.

"Route 5?" Tia asks. I nod, and Darren leads the way. We walk across town to the gate, and walk onto Route 5.

"Travis!" I hear a familiar voice say in a sing-song manner. Oh, dear. I turn to see Sera leap off a bench and strut towards me.

"Did you beat Elesa? Wasn't she easy?" she asks excitedly. I scratch my arm.

"Yeah, I beat her. She was a little harder than expected," I reply. Sera snorts at the unintended innuendo.

"Now that we've both beaten her, how about we have a battle? I've gotten stronger since we last met," she grins, flexing her arms, almost cartoonish in her movements.

"Fine," I relent. Sera jumps up and down, squealing in happiness. She grabs a Pokéball and throws it into the air. In a flash of light, a Zebstrika appears.

"You remember this big boy, right?" Sera asks, winking. I sigh.

"You can have this one, Zora," I say, and Zora leaps from my shoulder and faces off against the zebra.

"Spark!" Sera calls cheerfully, and Zebstrika's mane crackles with electricity, covering its entire body. I get a flashback to the gym battle, and I shiver involuntarily, holding my arms close to my body. Zora evades with Faint Attack and attacks Zebstrika from behind, hitting it in the head. She then uses Fury Swipes, slashing furiously at the zebra Pokémon. Zebstrika is unable to hit Zora in such close quarters, not even able to hit her with electricity or flames he gives off from Spark or Flame Charge, and faints.

"You're new," Sera comments, returning Zebstrika. She throws another Pokéball and lets out Stoutland. I grin, knowing exactly how to defeat him.

"Your turn, Dissa," I say, and she and Zora switch places. Sera grins.

"You forgot one thing, Travis," she giggles. "Crunch!" she calls, and Stoutland rushes Dissa, ready to chomp down on her. Dissa lazily floats out of the way of the giant dog, and launches Will-O-Wisp, burning him.

"Again!" Sera yells, and Stoutland turns and tried to bite Dissa again. He's about to bite down on her, but suddenly Dissa glows white, followed by Stoutland. She Disabled Crunch. I smirk. Now I just have to wait for burn damage to defeat Stoutland, unless she switches him out.

"Come back," Sera sighs, returning Stoutland. Probably the best option for her here. She throws another Pokéball and out comes Emboar. He towers over Dissa, but she doesn't back down.

"Flamethrower!" Sera yells, and Emboar belches a stream of fire at Dissa, who glows white, and suddenly the attack disappears as Emboar glows white as well. I smile, and Sera stomps her foot.

"Heat Crash!" she commands, and Emboar's body is engulfed in flames and he charges Dissa. Dissa floats aside, but Emboar reaches out with one of his thick arms and grabs her, holding her to his body as he crashes into the ground, crushing her beneath him. He gets up, and Dissa floats up weakly.

"Come back, Dissa," I say, and she floats back to me. "You're up, Shello. Let's see what you can do." I set Shello down and he crawls towards Emboar slowly. Sera bursts out laughing.

"That little thing? It's so slow; Emboar will turn it into a pancake!" she laughs.

"Aqua Jet," I say calmly, and Shello's body is engulfed in rushing water, and he shoots towards Emboar, hitting him square in the gut, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Arm Thrust!" Sera growls, and Emboar runs at Shello, arms raised.

"Protect," I say, and a protective barrier appears around Shello, and Emboar pounds at it, dealing no damage.

"Ancient Power," I say, and glowing rocks appear around Shello, and they launch themselves at Emboar.

"Crush those puny rocks!" Sera shouts, and Emboar lashes out with Arm Thrust as the rocks get close, smashing them to rubble. However, Shello uses this opportunity to use Aqua Jet, crashing into Emboar while he's distracted, and then combining it with Crunch, biting into Emboar's stomach before using Aqua Jet to get out of range.

"Rollout!" Sera commands, and Emboar curls up, rolling at Shello. Shello rushes to meet Emboar's attack with Aqua Jet. The two collide, and the two Pokémon go flying. Shello uses Ancient Power in midair, slamming the rocks into Emboar, and he goes down, crashing into the ground, fainted. Shello lands on his shell, and rocks from side to side awkwardly.

"How are Pokémon you got after we battled last so strong?" Sera asks disbelievingly. Shello manages to correct himself and sits on his fins, waiting for the next Pokémon.

"Well, Zebstrika wasn't fast enough to hit Zora, and all of Shello's attacks were super effective except Crunch," I explain. Sera grimaces.

"Please don't explain battles to me," she groans, returning Emboar. She throws out another Pokéball, and Stoutland appears again.

"Work up!" she calls, and Stoutland is surrounded with a red aura. "Now, Take Down!" Stoutland runs at Shello, who uses Protect, and Stoutland crashes into the barrier. Shello uses Ancient Power and rocks rain down on Stoutland. Shello then uses Aqua Jet and Crunch, and combined with the damage from Stoutland's burn, Stoutland faints.

"God fucking dammit!" Sera spits, returning Stoutland. She throws out another Pokéball and out comes Gurdurr, who flexes and swings his metal beam around.

"Shello, that's enough," I say, and Shello walks slowly back to me. "Selva, get in there." Selva walks out in front of me and faces off against Gurdurr.

"Rock Slide!" Sera shouts, and rocks threaten to bury Selva. Selva dodges, bouncing off the rocks and swinging around with her vines.

"Growth," I call, and she raises her stats.

"Bulk Up," Sera calls, and Gurdurr does the same.

"Leaf Tornado." Selva spins and creates a vortex of swirling leaves. Gurdurr panics and runs from the tornado, but gets sucked in along with the rocks it used, just like last time. This time, however, Selva is stronger, and Gurdurr falls to the ground, fainted.

"What the fuck are you giving your Pokémon?" Sera exclaims, returning Gurdurr. I shrug.

"Nothing but love and support," I say.

" _And occasionally his cock_ ," Pardin whispers, and Leafa and Zora giggle. I snicker, and Selva returns to my side.

"Oh, hello there!" I turn to see Elesa walk out of the gate. She looks at the scene, and smiles.

"Do you two know each other?" she asks.

"Unfortunately," I mutter. Elesa throws her hands up.

"Good god, boy, do you have _any_ human friends?" she asks.

"One, I think," I say.

"Chuck?" Sera asks, and I nod.

"I don't know where he is, though. I last saw him in Castelia City. Not sure where he's gotten himself recently," I say.

"Whatever. I've come to raise the drawbridge for you guys. Follow me," Elesa says. "Follow me." She leads us down the road. Once we come across a reddish camper parked on the side of the road, I hear music. We walk up to a small crowd of people gathered around a man with a guitar and another man dancing to the music. A large, fiery-haired man wearing a loose poncho notices us.

"Well, if it isn't Elesa!" he calls out. Elesa turns to him, and her eyes widen in surprise. "You should join me. This music is fantastic!"

"Who's this guy?" Sera asks. Elesa turns to her, looking somewhat annoyed.

"This is Alder. He's the Unova Region's champion." Sera does a double take.

"The champion? What's someone important and strong like him doing here?" she asks. Alder sighs.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Alder, the champion. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you must know, I'm on a voyage," he says. "And who might you be?" he asks.

"I'm Sera, from Nuvema Town, and one day, I'm gonna kick your ass and take over as champion!" she exclaims, pumping a fist. Alder puts a large hand on his chin.

"Having a goal in mind when you travel is commendable. What do you plan on doing after becoming champion?" he asks. Sera looks confused.

"What else is there other than being the strongest? That's the champion: the strongest Pokémon trainer," she answers.

"Is being the strongest enough of a goal? Hmm…" Alder gets lost in thought for a few seconds. "It's not like I'm saying your way of thinking is wrong…" he trails off.

"In my travels, I've helped many people create a connection with Pokémon. I think growing to love Pokémon is important," Alder speaks almost as if we're not here. He then turns to a girl and a boy behind him. They look to be still in school.

"You two, you are both trainers?" he asks, and they both nod. "Come have a battle with this girl here," he says, and they both step forward, looking nervous as Sera glowers at them.

"Two versus one doesn't seem fair…" Alder says. His gaze finds me, and he looks over my Pokémon. "You can be her partner."

"I can take them both," Sera growls. I snort.

"I just wiped the floor with you. Your whole team is weak at the moment," I say. Sera grumbles under her breath.

"Well if that's the case, you may use these," Alder reaches into his satchel and pulls out some Potions. Sera scowls and throws a Pokéball. Zebstrika appears in a flash of light. He stands on wobbly legs, weak from the earlier battle. Sera takes a Potion from Alder and starts spraying Zebstrika.

"No, no, this is how you do it," Alder says, taking the Potion from her. He rubs Zebstrika's back and sprays him with the Potion. Zebstrika whinnies with satisfaction and its mane starts crackling with electricity.

"There you go!" Alder says, stepping back, and he hands Sera the Potion. "Go on, there's a little left." Sera grumbles as she mimics Alder, rubbing Zebstrika's flank and spraying the Potion. The Potion runs out, and she tosses the empty container to Alder.

"You may keep these," he says, handing her three more Potions. She puts them in her bag grudgingly.

"Now, let the battle begin!" Alder exclaims, and the two youngsters each throw a Pokéball. Two Herdier appear in a large flash of light.

"You've got this, Leafa," I say, and I kneel down, allowing her to crawl down my arm to the ground. She and Zebstrika face off against the opposing Pokémon.

"Bite!" the boy calls, and his Herdier runs at Leafa.

"Take Down!" the girl commands, and her Herdier charges Zebstrika. Leafa uses String Shot to trip up the boy's Herdier, and sends Razor Leaf at the two opponents, slowing down the girl's Herdier slightly as it continues charging at Zebstrika, who snorts in contempt.

"Spark," Sera says, sounding bored. Zebstrika's body becomes enveloped in electricity as Herdier slams into him, and the attacking Pokémon is thrown backwards, damaged from the attack and recoil. It crashes to the ground, fainted.

"Don't bother, Travis, I've got this," Sera says. "Flame Charge." Zebstrika's electricity is replaced with Flames, and he charges the remaining Herdier. Leafa, however, has different plans. She uses Razor Leaf again, hitting Herdier, then Struggle Bug, causing it to faint just before Zebstrika hits with Flame Charge. The zebra's flames go out as it turns, annoyed at Leafa. Sera scowls as she returns Zebstrika, and Leafa crawls back to me. The two children return their Pokémon, and Alder hands them some Potions.

"Good job," I say as Leafa crawls back up my arm to my shoulder. She nuzzles my cheek and smiles widely.

"Good battle," Alder says to the children, "Your Pokémon looked like they were enjoying themselves." They thank him and us, and go back to watching the performance. He then turns to Sera.

"Young lady, just as there are people like you who pursue strength, there are people who enjoy just being with Pokémon. There are different types of people in this world. When it comes to being champion, you and I hold different views, but that's perfectly fine. Give it some thought." Elesa turns to us.

"Let's roll. The Driftveil Drawbridge is just ahead," she says, and turns and walks down the road. Darren and Tia follow her.

"The champion is the strongest there is. That's all there is to it," Sera mutters as she follows them. Alder shakes his head.

"Look out for her," he says to me, looking after Sera. I laugh and shake my head.

"You're the second person to ask me to do that," I say, chuckling. Alder wipes his forehead with the back of his hand.

"She must have some issues then," he says. I nod.

"Anyway, go and take care of her," Alder says, holding out his hand. I shake it, and trot after the group. Suddenly I feel something tug on my pant leg. I look down to see that a small Pokémon with a purple head and black hair-like growth on its head. It has white ribbonlike appendages on its head and around its neck in the shape of bows. Its body is back with a jagged white stripe. It has big red lips and its piercing blue eyes stare up at me.

"Oh, hello there," I say, and it turns and runs into the trees. "Okay, goodbye," I call after it. What was that? I look in my book; the Pokémon is a Gothita. I wonder what it wanted. I shrug and keep walking. I see Elesa, Darren, Tia and Sera waiting by the bridge.

"Over here!" Sera calls, waving at me with a big smile on her face. I wave back halfheartedly. Elesa is talking to the man at the booth by the bridge. She then pulls out a cellphone, and puts it to her ear. She waits for a few seconds as the phone dials.

"Hey, it's Elesa. Please lower the drawbridge. I have a couple trainers who want to challenge you," she says. She listens for a few seconds, then nods.

"Okay, thanks." She hangs up and puts her phone away. "Watch this!" she says excitedly, turning to the bridge. We look up as the drawbridge begins to lower, the two sides coming closer together. The bridge clanks and groans as the machinery lowers the bridge. The two sides eventually come together with an echoing and satisfying rumble. Darren and Tia's mouths gape in awe at the structure. Elesa turns back to us.

"I have a TV gig, so I need to go. The Gym Leader of Driftveil City may take some… getting used to…" She walks past us. "Good luck you two." Darren and Tia don't stop staring at the bridge.

"Well, let's go," Sera says, leading the way onto the bridge. We follow her, and Darren snaps pictures of the bridge, mumbling something about not being able to record the drawbridge lowering. Tia gazes out at the water. We walk all the way across the bridge, alighting on a small island. On the other side of the island is a much smaller bridge, and at the other end I can see a large man. We get closer, and I can see that this man is wearing an enormous cowboy hat and has a leather vest and wide leather covers over his jeans. As we walk up to him, he scowls and spits onto the ground.

"So yer the trainers Elesa was talkin' about, huh?" he says in a thick southern accent. "I'm Clay. I'm Gym Leader around these parts. Don't expect no welcome; when we lowered the drawbridge, the Team Plasma guys we'd captured escaped." I groan.

"How is that our fault?" Sera protests. Clay snorts.

"Ya can say whatever ya want; what's important is that when y'all showed up, Team Plasma escaped. Maybe you should start looking for them, too, hmm? Yer both talented trainers, aren't ya?" He starts walking away, and Sera is about to spout a retort; her fists are clenched and she's shaking with rage. I grab her arm, and she looks at me. I shake my head, and she relaxes. Clay then turns back to us.

"Tell ya what: I'm feelin' generous today. If ya find Team Plasma, I'll let ya challenge my gym! It's all give and take in life!" He chuckles and walks away. Sera is about to explode, and I slap the back of her head.

"I would have looked for those bastards even if I wasn't offered a chance at the gym," I growl. Sera cracks her knuckles.

"Wherever you go, I go. I want a crack at some of these fuckers!" she exclaims.

"You go to the Pokémon Center. I'll start searching the southern part of town," I instruct. Sera groans, but agrees to go. We split up, Tia going with Sera and Darren following me down across another bridge, and onto another small island covered in shipping containers and warehouses. Several cargo ships, docks, and loading cranes dot the edges of the island.

"This is the Driftveil City Cold storage," Darren says, snapping some pictures. He points to a warehouse that is larger than the others.

"That one is big enough for an entire army to hide in!" he exaggerates.

"I guess we search that one first," I say. We walk to the door, and I open it. Immediately, a frigid draft of air blows from the building, and I slam the door shut, shivering. I look at Leafa and Selva, and see that they're both shivering even more than I am.

"Oh, you poor things," I say. "You should stay in your Pokéballs so you don't freeze to death." I give them each a kiss on the forehead and return them.

"How's everyone else?" I ask.

" _My fur is just thick enough that the cold doesn't bother me_ ," Pardin says, and Zora nods in agreement.

" _I don't get cold_ ," Dissa says.

" _I'm used to cold water, so cold air shouldn't be any different_ ," Shello says.

"Okay good. I don't want you to be too cold," I say. "And now we just wait here for Sera and Tia." I sit against the building, and Darren continues writing notes and taking pictures. I then hear a rustling in the bushes, and Pardin and Zora sniff the air and glare at the offending scent and sound. The bushes part, and the Gothita from Route 5 stumbles out, correcting itself and standing up straight, staring at me.

"You again," I sigh. "What do you want?" Gothita doesn't answer, it just continues staring at me.

"Hey, fuckers!" Sera yells as she runs towards us.

"Where's Tia?" Darren asks.

"Oh, she said she didn't feel well and stayed at the Pokémon Center," Sera replies.

"I thought she was acting funny," Darren remarks.

"That's the second time she's disappeared when we were looking for Team Plasma. It could be a coincidence, but keep an eye on her, okay?" I ask. Sera and Darren nod.

"Report any suspicious behavior to me," I say darkly. Sera stares at me, eyes sparkling. What's that look for?

"I'll record it in my journal!" Darren exclaims.

"That's nice," Sera rolls her eyes. Gothita suddenly moves, tapping to door with its hand, and staring back at me.

"Is that yours?" Sera asks.

"Nope, it just followed me here from Route 5. I think it wants to help us," I reply. I open the door, and we all shiver from the cold. Gothita skips inside, and we follow it. Sera brings out Emboar, and we're all grateful for the heat he produces from his mane. We walk along the maze of shipping containers, when Sera suddenly slips on some ice on the floor, sliding into me, and in turn knocking us into a wall. She holds onto me in panic, then lets go when she realizes what she's doing, a blush creeping along her cheeks. We continue, managing to avoid any dangerous slips on the ice along the way. Gothita stops at a shipping container and turns and stares at me.

" _There's something inside that one_ ," Pardin mews, pointing her paw at the shipping container. I hear a thump and a muffled curse as we get closer.

"Pardin says there's someone in there," I say, pointing at the container.

"Let's go, then!" Sera exclaims. We walk around the container, and see one of its sides is open. Gothita stays behind, and we walk up the ramp into the container, and are met with several giant ice cubes and a huddle of Team Plasma grunts. My lip curls in distaste.

"Gather around me, all of you!" a shuddering voice says from within the huddle. Shivering among the grunts is another man wearing a cloak: another one of the Seven Sages.

"I can't stand this cold…" the man whimpers. I sneer at them, and they all look towards our approaching footsteps echoing on the metal floor of the container.

"I can't believe you cowards are hiding. Pathetic," I spit. "If you're cold, why don't I show you outside?"

"Pokémon are out King's friends. Under our protection, we will not let any harm come to them. Get them!" the man in the middle commands the grunts. I snort, and Sera and Emboar step forward.

"Understood, Zirzolin of the Seven Sages," the grunts say in unison, and they spread out in front of us, ready for battle.

"Step aside, Sera. These assholes are mine," I growl. Sera's eyes sparkle again, and she and Emboar step back. I glower at the grunts, and they all shiver from the cold; or is it fear? The grunts all throw Pokéballs, and several Pokémon appear. I see a three Watchog, two Scraggy, a new Pokémon that I find out is called Trubbish, a Pokémon I find out is Liepard, also Purrloin's evolution, and two Sandile. Dissa, Shello, Zora, and Pardin all stand in front of me, ready to fight.

"Super Fang!" the grunts command the Watchog, and the rat Pokémon all leap forward, baring their teeth. Shello uses Protect, and the rats all crash into the barrier.

"Brick Break! Pursuit! Crunch! Sludge!" the grunts command. The Scraggy and Sandile run at my Pokémon, Liepard disappears and Trubbish shoots toxic purple gunk from its mouth. Pardin and Zora disappear as well, and the two gang up on Liepard, beating it senseless. Shello uses Ancient Power and smashes rocks into the Scraggy, knocking them into the wall. Dissa uses Disable on the Sandile, and they stop in their tracks, and she burns them with Will-O-Wisp. Shello uses Aqua Jet on the Sandile, knocking them out, and Pardin and Zora finish off the Scraggy with Pursuit.

"You impudent child!" the Sage yells, voice shaking with the cold. I hear more echoing footsteps, and I turn to see Clay leading a group of men wearing thick coats and hats.

"Well I'll be," Clay says, sounding impressed. "You found and defeated 'em." He turns to face the grunts, who return their Pokémon and cower around the Sage.

"Hidin' in a chilly place like this…" he tsks at them. "Now," he commands, gesturing at the Team Plasma members, "take care of these Pokémon robbers!"

"Roger!" the workers behind him reply, and they surround the group of thieves and tie their hands behind their backs with rope. They shove them out of the container, and take them into custody. Clay turns to us, grinning.

"As promised, I'll give y'all the privilege to challenge my gym!" he says, and he follows the workers. Sera bristles.

"Fucking blackmail!" she spits, and I laugh.


	22. Chapter 22: Wild Emotions

**Chapter 22: Wild Emotions**

Sera grumbles to herself all the way to the Pokémon Center. I heal Zora and Pardin, who were hit by Liepard in the Cold Storage.

"So, which of us are going to take on Clay first?" I ask, and Sera smirks.

"I would say we battle for it, but I know you'd beat me," she answers, and Darren snorts.

"You shush," she says, turning and pointing her index finger. Darren makes a zipper motion over his lips, and Sera laughs. We walk out of the Pokémon Center, and I stop in my tracks. Marching down the street is a long line of Team Plasma grunts. I stiffen, and my heart starts beating like crazy.

"Travis," Sera says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down, let's follow them," Darren suggests. I grit my teeth and Sera grabs my hand. Darren takes the lead and Sera follows him, leading me by the hand. We follow Team Plasma across town, and they lead us to the Gym. There, an enormous crowd of Team Plasma grunts has gathered, surrounding the Gym.

"Holy shit…" Sera says in awe at the sheer number of them. The door to the Gym opens, and Clay walks out accompanied by three workers. A man steps out of the crowd of grunts.

"Ghetsis," I hiss, eyes narrowed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Clay," Ghetsis booms. "I am Ghetsis of Team Plasma. I have come to retrieve some associates of mine that are in your care." Clay grunts, spitting on the ground.

"Yer buddies were tryin' to steal some folks' Pokémon," he says roughly.

"There must be some kind of misunderstanding," Ghetsis says, a smug smile on his face. "We only free Pokémon from wicked people."

"Well that sounds real nice, ain't it?" Clay asks, crossing his arms. "I may not talk all purty, but at least I'm an honest man. You talk real nice but it sounds like yer lyin' ta me. So tell me, what is it you really mean?" Ghetsis smirks.

"Team Plasma has an interest in Driftveil City. And as you can see, you are surrounded. And there are more of us than those that are here," he says, a threat in his voice. Clay sighs.

"Well, I'll have to say you've won this without a fight. Take 'em and git!" he grunts. I struggle against Sera's grip on my hand, but she tightens her hand and I can't escape.

"A decision worthy of the businessman called the Miner King," Ghetsis says. "Your grasp on your situation is outstanding. We'll be taking our colleagues off your hands…" Clay nudges one of the workers, and they all walk inside, and return a minute later with the Team Plasma grunts and Sage they took into custody earlier.

"Thank you, Ghetsis," I hear the Sage, whom the grunts called Zinzolin, say as he walks up to the robed man.

"Do not worry, fellow servant of our King. We are two of the Seven Sages, are we not?" Ghetsis then turns back to Clay and the glaring workers.

"I suspect we'll meet again somewhere," he says gloatingly, and he starts walking, and the grunts and Zinzolin follow him.

"Clay! We can take them all! Help me defeat them!" I scream, not caring who hears. Clay looks at me and shakes his head. Ghetsis looks at me as he walks up to me and stops.

"Such unbridled hatred in your eyes, boy," he says, sounding disappointed. I try to punch him, but Sera grabs my other hand and holds me fast. Ghetsis smirks and grabs my chin, looking into my eyes with his red eye and monocle.

"I can't tell if you're ignorant or simply a wicked boy," he says thoughtfully. Darren grabs onto my shoulders, and my Pokémon all grab onto me somehow, holding me back. The grunts closest to Ghetsis also step forward, ready to defend their leader.

"Your poor Pokémon," Ghetsis shakes his head, looking down at them. He crouches down and reaches out his hand to Pardin.

"Is your trainer wicked, little one?" he asks softly. Pardin hisses and bites his hand. Ghetsis tsks and quickly slaps her across the head, and she meows in indignation. Ghetsis stands up.

"Insolent creature," he mutters, holding his bitten hand. I can see blood dripping from under his other hand. I get some small satisfaction, but I still want to break his legs for hitting Pardin. I struggle against my restraints as Ghetsis walks away.

"Maybe you'll see the error of your ways and join us, hmm?" he says over his shoulder. "Perhaps you can put all that passion to good use." I snarl and manage to break loose of Sera, Darren, and my Pokémons' hold, and I lunge at Ghetsis' retreating back. Grunts immediately step in my way and their sheer numbers overwhelm me as they knock me to the ground, kicking me.

"Let the boy go," Ghetsis calls back. "He might come to his senses someday." I roar in rage as the grunts leave me on the ground, cut and bruised.

"Farewell, boy. Remember what I said," Ghetsis waves at me.

"Oh, I'll remember. I'll remember everything," I spit blood onto the pavement. Sera and my Pokémon run to me, Shello and Leafa slower due to their lack of proper legs.

"Holy shit, Travis, are you okay?" Sera shrieks.

"There is a fine line between brave and stupid, kid," Clay says, walking up to me. I glare up at him.

"We could have taken them all on!" I spit at him.

"There were hundreds of them!" Clay exclaims.

"So what? Sera and I have powerful Pokémon, and you're a Gym Leader for fuck's sake! We could have defeated their numbers with ability!" I counter.

"Travis! Get a hold of yourself!" Sera exclaims.

"Shut the fuck up!" I scream at her, eyes starting to water from pain and frustration. "If you didn't hold me back he would be in the hospital!"

"And what purpose would that serve?" Clay roars. I stop and think. It wouldn't really serve any purpose, now that I think about it. I want to hurt Ghetsis because he's the head of Team Plasma, the group that's been terrorizing Unova. I know N said that he's the King, but Ghetsis appears to be the real leader of the outfit. Is Ghetsis using N and his ideas about Pokémon liberation as a front for something sinister?

"Whatever…" I mutter.

"Young lady, I'm sorry you had to witness all that," Clay apologizes to Sera. "Why don't I help you cheer up with a Pokémon battle?" Sera squeals.

"That would be amazing!" she exclaims. Clay looks down at me, laying in my puddle of blood and misery.

"And you, boy, can battle me when you apologize for making an ass of yourself and possibly endangering everybody here," he says, his voice hard. I snort.

"Good luck," I spit more blood onto the street.

"Get over yourself," Clay grunts, and walks away. "Don't keep me waitin', darlin'!" he calls to Sera over his shoulder. I stand up shakily, and Sera and Darren attempt to steady me, but I slap their arms away.

"Don't fucking touch me!" I snarl. I grab Shello and Leafa, and storm towards the Pokémon Center, Pardin, Zora, Dissa, Selva trailing after me. I make it to the Pokémon Center, and get a room key from Nurse Joy, ignoring her concerned look at my beaten and bleeding face and body. I slam the door of the room behind me and my Pokémon, and set Shello and Leafa down gently on the bed. I throw my backpack, jacket and shoes at the wall, hoping I didn't break anything in my backpack.

"Fuck!" I yell. My Pokémon look at me, concerned. I storm into the bathroom and start the shower, throwing my clothes at my reflection in the mirror. I step into the steaming water, and press my forehead to the tiles on the wall, letting the cool, smooth ceramics seep into me, combating the heat of the water. Fuck. I need to get a hold of myself. I know that hurting Ghetsis wouldn't have accomplished anything, but I'm too proud to admit it out loud. And I'm too proud to apologize. I'm just glad I haven't yelled at my Pokémon out of anger. I never want to hurt them. I hear a knock on the bathroom door.

" _Travis_? _May I come in_?" Pardin asks.

"Do whatever you want," I reply, and I hear the door open. Pardin doesn't come into the shower with me, but I hear her knock my clothes to the floor, so I'm guessing she's sitting on the counter by the sink.

" _Do you want to fuck me_?" she asks bluntly. I get an erection just thinking about it. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I'm supposed to be sulking and moping.

" _Would that make you feel better_?" Pardin asks. I sigh.

"I don't know," I answer.

" _Do you want to try_?" she asks.

" _Hey, Darren is at the door_ ," I hear Selva say.

"Don't let him in," I say immediately. I turn off the shower, the mood ruined, and step out, not caring if my Pokémon see me naked. I dry myself off, then walk into the main room and take a fresh pair of pants out of my bag and put them on. I don't bother with a shirt or socks.

"Travis?" I hear Darren's voice. "Come on, man."

"Leave me alone," I say, now feeling emotionally and physically exhausted.

"Travis, I swear to god," I hear Sera say from outside the door.

"I said go away, I don't want to talk to either of you," I call, sitting down heavily on the bed.

"I talked to Nurse Joy," Sera says, sounding smug, "and she agreed with me that you seemed to be in a bad way. She gave me a spare key to your room. I'm coming in!"

"No! You fucking bitch-" I'm cut off as Sera slams the door open, and marches in. My Pokémon all look up at her, then at me.

"You're still bleeding," Sera notices, and walks into the bathroom. She returns moments later with a first aid kit, and she kneels next to the bed. She opens the box and pulls out some disinfectant wipes. I let her swab my cuts, wincing at the sharp pain of the chemicals. Sera finishes cleaning my cuts, and puts bandages on them. My face, torso, and arms are soon dotted with bandages. I groan, but I'm thankful I managed to cover my face, so I only have a small cut on my cheek. My stomach and arms took the most damage, mostly bruised, but with a few cuts.

"Could you girls leave us alone for a few minutes?" Sera asks my Pokémon. Shello huffs, and Sera looks at him.

"Wait, are you a boy?" she asks, and he nods. "Huh. Didn't expect that." Pardin and Dissa herd the rest of my Pokémon into the bathroom, and Selva closes the door. Sera looks around the room, trying to look at anything but me. I'm about to ask her to leave, but she suddenly stares deep into my eyes, her blue eyes desperate.

"I- I need to talk to you," she stammers. "Can I talk to you?" she asks after clearing her throat and looking at me more confidently. I'm about to refuse, kick her out, and correct her grammatical error.

"Please," she adds, eyes switching from desperate to confident. Normally, I would refuse, but having never heard the word "please" exit her lips, I'm shocked, and I nod for her to continue.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Sera confesses. I almost laugh to myself.

"I do tend to leave a sour taste in peoples' mouths," I mutter, finding my voice.

"No, no, the taste you left in my mouth was wonderful," she assures me. "And don't talk like that. Don't talk at all, just listen to me."

"Now, I've kissed countless boys, and fucked almost as many. But you were different. The way you held me and the way you touched me was so gentle, so intimate, and nothing like I've ever felt before. When you said that I was yours for the night, it made me so happy and I didn't understand why. In my head, I kept repeating 'I am yours'. When I kissed you, it felt like my lips and chest were on fire, and I wanted more. I was scared, and didn't want to appear vulnerable to you. I'm supposed to keep up my image as a strong and sexy young woman. But with you, I'm just a slutty girl who fell in love during a nymphomaniac splurge."

I'm speechless. This is a completely new side to Sera I didn't know about. She's never shown me this part of her. She's right, she's only ever shown the strong and sexy part of her personality.

"I've always wanted to be happy, I mean, who doesn't, right? I thought being promiscuous and the strongest trainer would make me feel happy and empowered. But outside of battling, I was completely miserable. I never had any true friends, only people who wanted my body and those who wanted in with the 'cool crowd'. But you were always honest with me. You never lied to me about how you felt. You and Chuck are the only ones who were ever sincere with me. And when I fucked you, thinking it would be just like every other time I seduced someone who played hard to get, I felt something I've never felt before."

"Even though you only were fucking me because of our deal, you didn't treat me badly or say mean things. You expressed genuine displeasure. And you made me feel genuine happiness for a short time. After we finished, I didn't feel miserable again until after I left your room. And battling you is always better than battling with anyone else, too. I always get frustrated because I'm not used to losing, and the fact that you make me flustered doesn't help my concentration. Like I said right before I left, the sex with you was the best I've ever had. I meant it both physically and emotionally."

She's rambling now. She's pouring her heart out to me, and I don't even feel anything for her. I feel really bad now. She's always had such a high opinion of me and I continually insulted and belittled her in my head. God, I feel terrible.

"And after I left your room, I went back to the Pokémon Center and had an orgy with my boys, but I couldn't match the physical and emotional pleasure of sex with you. I went and found some poor city boys and seduced them, too, but no matter how big or how many the dicks, it wasn't the same. I tried again in Nimbasa City, but I eventually gave up. There is only one dick for me now, and it's yours. There is only one place I belong now, and that's at your side."

"What are you saying?" I manage to get out, voice almost breaking.

"I'm saying that I love you," her eyes are starting to water. "And if you'll have me, I promise you won't regret it. If you'll give me a chance, please, let me love you."

Oh, you poor, pathetic girl. I curse myself for everything bad I've ever thought about her. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to get my thoughts under control.

"I don't care if you still want to fuck your girls. We can have orgies if you want. But I promise you, while we're together, I won't fuck anyone else, not even my boys. All I want is you."

I did promise Alder and Professor Juniper that I would look after her. And now I know that she has deep emotional issues. If I do agree to what she's proposing, it would make it easy to keep an eye on her. And who knows, maybe I'll develop feelings for her.

"But we barely know each other!" I say, trying to come up with an excuse.

"I know; I want to get to know you better! I want to know more than just the Travis that's cold to everyone except his Pokémon. I want to know what you're like beneath that emotionless exterior. I want to know the real you," she says, resting her hands on the floor and leaning forward eagerly.

"Please," Sera begs, "give me a chance." Tears are streaming down her face, but she doesn't seem to notice. Her eyes are fixed on mine, the brilliant blue reflecting the ocean-like depth of her soul that I didn't notice before.

"I'll give you a chance," I croak, but she doesn't notice my voice. She smiles, her eyes filling with such joy that I feel even worse. She wraps her arms around me, and presses her face into my shoulder. I can feel the wetness of her tears on my neck and shoulder. I return her embrace, and hold her like that for a few minutes. She cries into me, her tears dripping down my chest like the trickle of the spring thaw. If I'm going to take care of her to assuage my guilt, I need to do it right. I hold her tight and rock back and forth, holding the back of her head. She settles into my lap and sighs contentedly.

I feel like she could stay like this forever and be completely happy. She could probably rest in my arms until the world ended and have no regrets; she could be completely at peace. I can feel her emotions seep into me, and I hope that she can't feel the negative ones I'm feeling slip away as her calmness and contentment wash over me, calming me down and making me feel a little better. Maybe this will work out.

I wake up, not remembering falling asleep. I look at Sera, still asleep in my arms, her long blonde hair fanned out across our bodies. I look up at the ceiling as my mind is plagued with doubt. What if I can never return Sera's feelings and end up hurting her? I turn my head to see Pardin staring into my eyes, and I jolt, almost yelling in surprise.

" _I think it's noble, what you're doing_ ," Pardin whispers. " _You're taking her in, just like you did with me. I was wandering, so deeply in need of someone to help me get back on my feet. Sera was wandering, hurting deeply, and you made her feel genuinely happy_."

"So you're not mad?" I ask, remembering every other time I interacted with Sera. Pardin shaker her head.

" _Of course not. After all_ ," she says, grinning naughtily, " _we can now have the greatest orgies known to man and Pokémon_!" I manage a small smile. I look back down at Sera, and I stroke her back gently. Pardin hisses quietly.

" _I can't help but be jealous, however_ ," she mews. I smile.

"Get in here," I invite, and she snuggles under my arm and chin. I feel Sera stir slightly, and she lifts her head. For a second, she seems surprised, but she recovers quickly and smiles at me.

"Good morning," she says happily, and she kisses me on the lips. She kisses me gently for a minute before Pardin mews, demanding attention. Sera giggles and rubs Pardin's ears. Pardin purrs, and looks at me smugly.

"I should probably get to know your girls if I'm going to be sharing you with them," Sera says. She looks around the room at my sleeping Pokémon.

"So which of them do you actually fuck?" she asks.

"I've only fucked Pardin and Selva," I answer. Pardin mews and Sera nods.

"Makes sense I guess. It would be kinda hard, pun intended, to fuck the bugs, and not to mention the ghost. And you're straight, right?" she asks.

"Yeah," I reply.

"So you wouldn't want to fuck the turtle. Why haven't you fucked that adorable little fox?" she asks.

"She hasn't shown any interest," I answer. Sera grins.

"She's so innocent!" she squeals. She plays with the bandage on my chest as she looks into my eyes thoughtfully.

"I love how the green and grey of your eyes looks," she comments, kissing my cheek. "But anyway, how often do you fuck Selva and Pardin?"

"We used to fuck all the time, but after Selva evolved, it's slowed down. Selva refuses to have sex. She thinks she looks ugly."

"Well she doesn't," Sera comments, glancing at the snake sleeping against Leafa.

"That's what I told her! But she didn't believe me!" I sigh. Sera pats my cheek.

"Well I'm sure she'll get over it," she says reassuringly.

"I hope so. I can tell she misses sex and is a bit pent up," I remark. Sera shifts on top of me.

"All this talk of sex is making me horny," she whispers. I sigh and smile. This is much closer to the Sera I know. Sera fidgets, sits up on my lap, and straddles my hips. She rubs on my crotch, and I get an erection. Sera smiles in satisfaction, and pulls her shirt off, throwing it to the floor. She practically rips her bra off, releasing her scrumptious breasts. She notices how I look at them, and she laughs breathlessly.

"You like these, huh?" she asks, making them jiggle. I reach up and grab one, and Sera gasps as I squeeze it. I play with her boob and she smiles down at me. I pinch her nipple and she gasps again. Sera reaches down and unbuttons my pants. She releases her boob from my grasp and gets between my legs. She unzips my pants and pulls them and my underwear off, and they join her shirt and bra on the floor. She grins as she takes in my dick.

"God, I've waited so long for this," she sighs, and she immediately takes my dick into her mouth, slurping and slobbering contentedly. I moan quietly and move her hair out of her face. I hold it behind her head with one hand. Pardin pokes my arm.

" _I'm horny now, too_ ," she mewls. I smile, and grab her with my free hand. I move her closer to my midsection so I can see her and touch her easier. I rub her pussy and stick my fingers in. Pardin moans and moves up and down on my fingers, fucking herself. Sera grins with my dick in her mouth as she watches. I hold Sera's hair and suddenly start fucking her mouth, shoving my dick down her throat. Her eyes widen, but she moans happily as I fuck her throat. She looks up at me sensually, her lips locked and throat tightened around my dick. I moan, and cum in her mouth. She gasps and swallows, a delighted smile on her lips as she removes my dick from her mouth and I let her hair fall back to its natural position.

"You taste so good," Sera moans. She gets off the bed and stands up, taking off her pants and panties. She pulls a condom from her pants pocket, and puts it on me. She gets on top of me and wastes no time in sliding down on my dick, moaning loudly as it goes in. I grab her ass and squeeze, and she squeals. I spank her and she gasps.

"I love it when you're rougher with me, too," she practically purrs. I spank her again, rest my hand on her hip and we both start moving. Pardin moans as she cums on my hand, but she doesn't stop fucking herself with my fingers.

"And just how does this amazing dick fit inside her tiny pussy?" Sera asks, looking down at Pardin.

"I honestly don't know. It somehow fits all the way in," I answer. Sera and I continue to both move as we fuck, but Sera soon holds me down and starts moving by herself. She grabs my hand and entwines our fingers, holding my hand tightly. With her other hand, she caresses my cheek as she bends down and kisses my lips, moaning into my mouth. She shoves her tongue in my mouth and dances around my tongue. With another moan, she pulls away, her tongue leaving behind a trail of saliva from her mouth to mine. Pardin cums on my hand again and collapses onto the bed, exhausted. I pull my fingers out of her, glad to have a hand free. I sit up and grab Sera's right breast, putting my mouth over her nipple and swirling my tongue around it. I suck on her nipple, and she moans loudly.

"I'm gonna cum!" Sera moans, squeezing my hand. She bounces on my dick even faster, breathing heavily.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she chants as she and I both near climax. She cums, and her back arches as she moans loudly. She gets off my dick, ripping the condom off as she puts my dick in her mouth. She sucks my dick, and I caress her cheek. I moan, and Sera pulls her mouth off my dick, and I cum on her face. Sera moans in delight, licking cum from her lips.

"I love you," she breathes as she cleans herself off, licking cum from her fingers. She's still holding my hand, and she squeezes it again. She sits up, not letting go of my hand. I sit up as well, and look around the room to see that all my Pokémon are awake and are staring at us. Even Venom, who I thought would be asleep in the corner, is staring at me, eyes blinking lazily. Selva squeaks, and I focus on her. One of her vines is in her pussy, and she quickly pulls it out, blushing deep red. She was masturbating while watching us. Zora and Dissa seem curious, Leafa looks confused, and Venom and Shello seem disinterested.

"Come, take a shower with me," Sera says, grinning. She stands up and pulls on my hand, pulling me to my feet. She leads me by the hand to the bathroom, and turns on the shower. We clean ourselves off then sit and cuddle as the hot water rains down on us. I watch as Sera's hair becomes wet, and her pale skin becomes slick with water. She's beautiful. Suddenly, she grabs onto my dick, and I yelp as she starts stroking it, making me hard almost instantly. She laughs.

"Don't you want to try shower sex?" she asks.

"Already? Aren't you tired?" I ask, and Sera laughs again.

"Sorry, but it's hard to not get horny when your naked body is right here in front of me, practically begging to get fucked," she whispers into my ear. She then pulls a condom out of nowhere.

"Where were you keeping that?" I ask, kind of scared to hear the answer. Sera laughs.

"In my free hand, dumbass. I wouldn't stick anything that isn't your dick inside me!" she laughs at me, and I sigh in relief. Sera puts the condom on my dick and gets on top of me.

"You don't have to move. Just look at me," she says, holding both my hands and entwining our fingers. She lowers herself onto me, and moans as she bounces on my dick. Her breasts bounce and her wet hair sticks to her skin. She rides me for a bit, then cums, back arching and tongue lolling out of her mouth. She hops off my dick as I cum, and she catches the cum by putting her mouth over my dick. She swallows and sighs contentedly. Pardin then jumps into the shower.

" _Dammit, what about me? I've been waiting for a turn with your cock_!" she mews, annoyed. Sera laughs.

"It appears this little lady wants some, too. How about it, Travis, are you feeling up for one more round?" she asks me. I sigh.

"Fine, Pardin, come on," I say, and Pardin purrs as she puts her mouth on my dick, making me hard again. I help her get on, and move her on top of me as she moans loudly. Sera watches in amazement, my head resting in her lap as she strokes my hair.

"It really does fit all the way inside her," she says in awe. "How is she doing that?" Pardin smirks, then mews as she cums, and I cum inside her.

"Damn, you've got good stamina," Sera praises me as I help Pardin off my dick. Pardin cleans herself as Sera and I dry off. Sera grabs my hand again and holds it as we walk back into the room. Sera's body and hair remain in a towel and I get dressed.

"I'm gonna challenge Clay today," Sera says, "And thanks to you, I feel like I can do anything!"

"I'm glad," I murmur as I kiss her ear. I am glad that I'm making her happy. Very glad, in fact. Sera finishes drying off, her hair still damp as she pulls her clothes back on.

"Come watch me fight Clay!" she invites, pulling me to my feet from my sitting position on the bed.

"Who wants to come?" I ask my Pokémon, and Zora, Dissa, Leafa and Pardin come forward. Venom is asleep now, and Shello seems to want to take a nap, too. Selva is hiding in the closet, mortified from being caught masturbating.

"You three will be alone here," I inform them, and I leave my backpack and jacket behind in the room with them. Zora, Leafa, and Pardin crowd onto my shoulders, and Dissa floats behind me as Sera takes my hand and leads me to the Gym. We walk in the door, and walk into a large room with little decoration. There are some potted plants in the corners, but that's about it. A man wearing a hard hat notices us and walks up to us.

"Are you challengers?" he asks in a gruff voice.

"I am," Sera answers.

"I'm just here to watch," I say. The man glances at the Pokémon adorning my shoulders and Dissa floating next to me.

"You look like a trainer to me. Why aren't you here to battle Clay? Have you gotten the Quake Badge already?" he asks, thick eyebrows lowering. I shake my head.

"No, Clay told me I'm not allowed to fight him," I answer. Realization appears in the man's eyes.

"Oh, you're that kid who was screaming yesterday," he says, and he chuckles. "There is a fine line between brave and stupid."

"I know," I mutter.

"But anyway, allow me to escort you to the battlefield," the man says, turning on his heels and walking to the back of the room. An automatic door opens, revealing a dimly lit hallway. We follow the man through, and at the end of the hall is an elevator.

"Hop in," the man invites as the elevator's doors open, and we step into the car. The doors close and the elevator drops. We wait for the elevator to stop for several minutes.

"When is this thing gonna stop?" Sera asks, obviously fed up with waiting.

"The battlefield is located in a mineshaft deep below the surface," the man replies. "It will be a few more minutes before we arrive." Sera groans and leans on me, still holding my hand. The man watches us for a few minutes while the elevator continues to lower.

"You two together?" he asks, obviously trying to make conversation. Sera nods, rubbing her head into my shoulder.

"Mhm," she answers.

"You're awfully touchy; have you been together awhile?" he asks.

"We just started," Sera answers. The man raises his eyebrows.

"You look like you're used to being like that," he says, gesturing to our position. Sera laughs.

"No, I've just liked him for a long time and he's being a good sport about it," she remarks. The man laughs.

"Well I wish you happiness together, then," he says, chuckling. Sera thanks him, and the elevator rumbles to a stop.

"Here we are," the man announces as the doors open and we walk out. I'm taken aback by the giant cavern we're standing in. The walls are littered with shiny crystals and gems, and there is a giant green crystal lining the back wall, where one end of the battlefield is. Sitting at the base of the crystal is Clay. He looks up as we walk forward, stands up with a grunt and walks to meet us.

"So ya decided to show, eh?" he asks. Sera nods enthusiastically.

"I'm ready for you!" she says confidently. Clay then turns to me.

"What are you doin' here, boy? Come to apologize?" he asks, eyes narrowing. I shake my head.

"I'm just here to watch," I reply. Clay barely seems surprised.

"Thought you looked like the stubborn type," he grunts, and turns and walks back to his giant crystal. He then turns back to us.

"I'll make you proud," Sera says, kissing me on the lips quickly before I walk to the side of the battlefield and sit against a red crystal jutting out of the ground. Dissa floats beside me and Zora and Pardin rest in my lap. Leafa remains on my shoulder.

"What was that?" Clay asks. Sera turns to him, a huge smile on her face.

"That? Just a quick kiss to get my blood pumping and confidence up," she answers.

"So are you two a thing now, or...?" Clay trails off.

"Yes," Sera replies. She takes out a Pokéball. "Enough talk. Fight me!" Clay grins.

"Prepare to face the wrath of the Miner King!" he bellows.


	23. Chapter 23: Just An Audience Member

**Chapter 23: Just an Audience Member**

Sera and Clay each throw a Pokéball onto the field. In a bright flash of light, Stoutland and a bipedal crocodilian appear. I look in my book, and the new Pokémon is a Krokorok, the evolution of Sandile.

"I will be the referee of this match," the man who led us here calls, standing on the side of the field. "This match will be three versus three Pokémon. Now, battle begin!"

"Krokorok, use Swagger!" Clay orders, and Krokorok crosses its arms and puffs out its chest. It glows red, and Stoutland's eyes glow red as it barks angrily at the crocodilian. Swagger increases the attack of the victim, but it also confuses it.

"Stoutland, Take Down!" Sera calls, and Stoutland growls, and charges forward. However, instead of running at Krokorok, Stoutland runs straight into a crystal embedded in the side of the battlefield, hurting itself. Sera tsks. She returns Stoutland and throws another Pokéball. In a flash of light, Gurdurr appears. It flexes and slams its metal beam into the ground.

"Dynamic Punch!" Sera yells, and Gurdurr's fist glows red. Gurdurr runs at Krokorok, and tries to punch it, but the crocodilian dodges the attack neatly by sidestepping.

"Bulldoze," Clay calls, and Krokorok stomps on the ground, causing the earth to shake. Gurdurr falls to the ground, but pulls himself to his feet with his beam.

"Crunch," Clay orders, and Krokorok bites down on Gurdurr's arm. Sera grins.

"Dynamic Punch!" she yells, and Gurdurr's fist slams into Krokorok's face, sending it flying. Krokorok lands heavily, and sways when it stands up, eyes red. Dynamic Punch confused it. Did Sera actually strategize? I mentally slap myself. Sera is perfectly intelligent, I've just never seen her do anything smart before.

"Swagger!" Clay yells, grinding his teeth. Krokorok looks around, and doesn't do anything. Sera laughs.

"Bulk up then Dynamic Punch again!" she yells, and Gurdurr flexes, its arms nearly doubling in size before returning to normal. He then charges the confused Krokorok, fist glowing. Despite the slowness of the attack, it connects due to the target's confusion, and Krokorok faints.

"Krokorok is unable to battle!" the ref calls. Clay shakes his head, smiling, and returns his fallen Pokémon.

"Ya did good, little lady, fer the first battle," he calls. "But this is far from over!" He throws another Pokéball, and a blue Pokémon with large wart-like growths on its head appears. I look in my book; it's a Palpitoad, the evolution of Tympole.

"Palpitoad, use Bubblebeam!" Clay orders, and the amphibian shoots a stream of bubbles at Gurdurr, who raises his metal beam to block. He slides back a few inches, but otherwise doesn't take any damage. So this Pokémon can use long-range attacks. If Gurdurr can't get close, he won't be able to hit it. Sera returns Gurdurr, and throws out Stoutland again. Unfortunately for Sera, her Pokémon are primarily physical attackers, with nearly no moves that can hit at long range. The exceptions are Emboar's Flamethrower, Gurdurr's Rock Slide, and maybe an Electric Type attack Zebstrika has. However, none of the long-range attacks her Pokémon have will affect Palpitoad since it's a Water and Ground Type Pokémon. Stoutland has higher defenses than Gurdurr, and doesn't have a weakness to Water and Ground Type attacks, so it was a smart move on her part. This is, assuming that Sera is going to use Emboar as her third choice and not Zebstrika. She isn't stupid enough to use an Electric Type Pokémon against Ground Types.

"Work up!" Sera orders. Stoutland glows red, raising his attacking stats. "Now Take Down!" Stoutland charges at Palpitoad, and because Palpitoad is slow, manages to hit. Palpitoad is sent sprawling.

"Crunch!" Stoutland bites down on Palpitoad, and Palpitoad cries out in pain in a warbling voice.

"Aqua Ring!" Clay commands, and Palpitoad creates a ring of water around its body, which will heal it slowly over time.

"Muddy Water!" Clay orders, and Palpitoad creates a wave of brown, thick water, and sends it crashing down on Stoutland. The two Pokémon continue attacking each other like this, using Crunch and Muddy Water.

"Bulldoze!" Clay calls, and Palpitoad stomps on the ground, damaging Stoutland. Stoutland manages to hold on, and with a final Crunch, knocks out Palpitoad. Those two Pokémon were surprisingly evenly matched. Clay returns Palpitoad, and grins widely.

"Palpitoad is unable to battle!" the ref calls.

"Yer not bad, girlie, but the battle ends here. You've given me no choice but to use my favorite and strongest Pokémon!" Clay yells, and throws his third and final Pokéball. In a flash of light, a thickly built Pokémon with a brown body and red marks on its stomach and legs appears. It has large silver claws with spikes on them, and has a growth that looks like another set of claws on its head.

"Excadrill, use Slash!" Clay orders, and the Pokémon runs at Stoutland, slashing at him with its enormous claws, knocking it out instantly.

"Stoutland is unable to battle!" the ref shouts. Sera returns Stoutland, and throws out Gurdurr again. Stoutland wouldn't have lasted very long anyway. It barely managed to defeat Palpitoad.

"Bulk Up!" Sera calls.

"Hone Claws!" Clay orders, and the two Pokémon raise their stats.

"Dynamic Punch!"

"Slash!"

The Pokémon run at each other, but Gurdurr's attack misses. Excadrill slashes its claws across Gurdurr's face, sending him sprawling.

"Rock Slide!" Sera yells.

"Rock Slide!" Clay counters. The two Pokémon summon a stream of boulders and send them crashing into each other, littering the battlefield with giant rocks, and obscuring my view. I groan in annoyance at not being able to see the proceedings. I do see Gurdurr looking around, trying to see Excadrill around the boulders.

"Slash!" I hear Clay order. Suddenly, the ground under Gurdurr's feet bursts outward, and Excadrill erupts from the ground, slashing Gurdurr again, knocking him out. Excadrill burrows back into the ground and Sera returns Gurdurr. She only has one Pokémon left. The playing field is a little less than even. It's obvious that Excadrill is Clay's strongest Pokémon, and probably stronger than anything Sera can throw at it.

"Gurdurr is unable to battle!" the ref calls. Sera throws her last Pokéball, and Emboar appears. Good, she didn't use Zebstrika.

"Slash!" Clay calls, and Excadrill pops from the ground, ready to hit Emboar.

"Arm Thrust!" Sera yells, and Emboar lashes out with his arms, blocking the attack. The two Pokémon attack and block each other's attacks over and over, almost looking like two martial artists in a way. They both take damage, but for the most part block all the attacks.

"Bulldoze!" Clay yells, and Excadrill stomps, shaking the ground, causing Emboar to stumble. The rocks littering the field vibrate violently.

"Rock Slide!" Clay orders, and the rocks around Excadrill shake and launch at Emblar.

"Arm Thrust!" Sera calls, and Emboar manages to destroy any rocks coming at him. However, the uncontrolled attack from Excadrill sends several rocks around Emboar, some hitting the wall, but one boulder is heading straight for Sera!

"Dissa!" I call, and the ghost tosses me her mask, which I immediately don. I dash at Sera, throwing my other Pokémon aside, Dissa sharing my body, and I her power. Just before the rock is about to crash into Sera, I get in between her and the boulder.

"Disable!" I scream, holding my hand out in a "stop" motion. My body, the boulder, and Excadrill glow white, and the boulder shudders to a stop, and crumbles to nothing. The remaining boulders on the field follow suite. I take off the mask, and Dissa appears next to me, holding her arm in the same position I am. Sera, Clay, Emboar, Excadrill, and the ref stare at us, and my face heats up. Sera screams and throws her arms around me.

"Holy fucking shit!" she yells, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What was that about, boy? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Clay yells at me.

"I can move faster than Dissa, so she needed me to carry her here faster," I reply calmly.

"You saved my life," Sera whispers, holding me tightly. I shrug her off and turn around, and return her hug.

"That was way too close for comfort…" Clay says awkwardly. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Keep the battle going, but I want Travis to stay right here with me," Sera answers, burying her head in my chest.

"Very well, then," Clay says, wiping his forehead. "Are you sure you don't want to take a break?"

"I'm sure. With Travis here I won't be in danger," Sera replies.

"I'm not omnipotent," I mutter. Sera looks up at me.

"You're strong enough to protect me, and that's all that matters." She then orders me to sit down, and she sits in my lap, like a queen with a living throne.

"Now, let's continue the battle," she insists, leaning into me comfortably.

"As you wish, little lady," Clay tips his hat.

"Emboar, Flamethrower!" Sera orders, and Emboar breathes fire at Excadrill, who burrows into the ground to avoid it.

"Slash!" Clay calls, and Excadrill bursts from the earth, slashing at Emboar with its claws.

"Heat Crash!" Sera yells, grinning. Emboar slams into Excadrill, his body ablaze. Excadrill is squashed beneath Emboar's weight.

"Arm Thrust!" Sera calls, and Emboar barrages Excadrill with his fists. "Flamethrower!" Sera orders, punching the air in front of her. Emboar spits fire, and the flames catch the stunned Excadrill, and it falls to the ground, fainted.

"Excadrill is unable to battle! The winner is Sera!" the ref calls, and I wrap my arms around Sera.

"Good job," I murmur, and she shivers. She kisses my cheek and stands up, pulling me with her. She walks towards Clay and meets him in the middle of the field. I walk back to my Pokémon, and they glare at me indignantly.

"I'm sorry," I apologize. "I had to act fast." Pardin sighs.

" _I can forgive you, you did save Sera's life_ ," she mews.

" _You're amazing_!" Zora yips, but I shake my head.

"It's only because Dissa possessed my body that I was able to do it," say.

" _That's not entirely true_ ," Dissa pipes up. " _If I hadn't possessed you, I wouldn't have been able to get there in time. And with our power combined, we managed to completely stop the attack_."

" _You two are heroes_!" Leafa exclaims.

"You've earned the Quake Badge," Clay rumbles, and I turn my attention to the action. Clay hands Sera the badge, and she squeals happily. She sprints over to me, and tackle-hugs me. I land heavily with a winded "Oof!"

"I owe you, boy," Clay says reluctantly, walking over to us.

"What for?" I ask.

"The little lady was in my Gym, my domain, and under my protection. I wasn't able to protect her, and you did my job for me. Fer that, I'll allow ya to battle me for the Quake Badge once I'm ready."

"You don't have to…" I mutter, but Sera kisses me on the cheek.

"Isn't that wonderful? You don't even have to sacrifice your silly pride to get the badge!" she exclaims, and I blush. Clay smirks.

"And if ya don't come to me, I'm comin' to you. Yer battlin' me whether ya like it or not." Sera pulls me to my feet, and squeezes my hand.

"I know exactly what I want to do to celebrate tonight," she murmurs in my ear.

"Now git. I'd like to clean up this place and prepare for our battle," Clay says, waving us away dismissively. Sera grins, and pulls me back to the elevator, my girls back on my shoulders and Dissa floating alongside us. The ref brings us back to the surface in the elevator, and we walk out of the Gym.

"What should we do until tonight?" Sera asks, holding my arm.

"I'd like to get some training in," I reply.

"How do you train? Do you find wild Pokémon and beat them senseless or have your Pokémon battle each other?" Sera asks.

"I have my ways," I reply, and Sera groans.

"You and your secrets," she mutters, but she smiles. We walk back to the Pokémon Center, and I pick up the rest of my Pokémon and my backpack. I leave Sera in the room, and trot down the street, looking for a place obscured by lots of trees just outside the city. I walk into the woods, and search for a clearing big enough for my purposes. I eventually stumble upon one, about a fifteen-minute walk from the city. I think I'm on Route 6. I throw Venom's Pokéball and she settles against a tree, the sunlight and breeze perfect for an afternoon nap. I set my backpack and Shello down against the same tree, and roll my shoulders.

"Let's go, girls," I say, and Pardin and Selva walk forward.

" _Had enough of the blonde fawning over you_?" Selva asks. I shrug.

"She's great, but I'm a loner, and I need to breathe," I answer. "I also don't think I could stand anyone else watching me train."

" _How's the sex_?" Selva asks, sounding kind of angry. I look at her out of the corner of my eye.

"It's fantastic," I reply.

" _Yeah, you should try it sometime_!" Pardin mews, pushing Selva, who stumbles a few steps before falling onto her butt.

" _I'm good, thanks_ ," Selva hisses. Pardin rolls her eyes.

" _Please, you're horny all the time, but you don't instigate anything with Travis. You run off into some corner and pleasure yourself, which we both know is nowhere near as good as his cock_ ," she says matter-of-factly. Selva stiffens, and glares at Pardin, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

"Now, now, girls, we're not here to talk about our sexual habits, we're here to become stronger," I chide. "Pardin, you're first."

" _As she usually is_ ," Selva mutters sourly.

"I heard that. You know I don't play favorites," I scold, and she huffs, looking away. Pardin and I go through our usual routine, feeling each other's bodies then imitating each other's movements. After we're finished, I do the same with Selva, our bodies flowing like liquid. By the end, my shirt is off and laying on Venom, who doesn't even notice. I set out a blanket on the grass and lay on my back. Pardin, Zora and Leafa cuddle against me, Dissa floats somewhere in the shadow of the tree we're under, Shello is sleeping in the sun, and Selva is sulking near the bushes. Suddenly, I feel Pardin tense against me. I sit up, and see the Gothita from a few days ago standing there, staring at me.

"You again?" I groan. "Why are you following me?" The Pokémon doesn't respond, just stares at me.

"Do you want a battle? Do you want food? What is it that you want from me?" I ask. Still no response.

"If you're not going to answer me, then leave me alone. I have no time to be paying attention to someone that doesn't want to tell me why they keep following me, nor do I have the patience to be followed by you," I say, and lay back down. I blink, and suddenly, Gothita is staring right into my eyes. I yelp and sit up, throwing Gothita from my chest. It lands on its feet, and stares at me.

"Pardin, can you scare it away or something?" I ask, now extremely annoyed. Pardin sighs. She slinks up to Gothita, and hisses at it. The Pokémon doesn't react, just continues to stare at me.

" _I don't want to hurt her unless she attacks first_ ," Pardin mews, looking back at me. I groan. I stand up, grab and put on my shirt, and walk towards the Gothita. When I get close, it scampers into the bushes. I decide to follow it. It keeps popping up for a reason, and I want to know why. It leads me further into the woods, away from the city, and I follow, Pardin and Zora scampering along beside me.

"Are you sure?" I hear a voice asks faintly. I press myself to the ground, and crawl forward on all fours, like I've seen Pardin do. She and Zora do the same, sneaking forward.

"Of course I'm sure. They're the Season Research Lab. They're going to capture and study some poor Deerling," a second voice says.

"So we need to stop them before they even have the chance to?" the first voice asks.

"Yes. Let's go," the second voice replies, and I hear two sets of footsteps walk away. I peek my head above some bushes, and see some familiar grey uniforms. I narrow my eyes and follow them, sneaking along the tree line. After a few minutes, they come across a small building with a sign out front labelled "Season Research Lab". There are a few people outside wearing lab coats, and talking to each other. The Team Plasma grunts stop, and watch them. Three scientists split from the group and walk into the trees, and the grunts follow them.

"Let's hurry and catch some Deerling. I hate being away from the lab for too long," one scientist says. The Team Plasma grunts each pull out two Pokéballs, and continue to follow them. The scientists stop, having stumbled upon a small herd of Deerling. The scientists each take out a Pokéball, and don't approach the group of wild Pokémon as the Deerling watch them warily, their orange coats blending in with some of the trees' changing leaves. The scientists throw their Pokéballs, and in a flash of light, an Audino, a Tranquill, and an Emolga appear. The Deerling stand off against the three Pokémon, and the Team Plasma grunts throw their Pokéballs into the middle of the group, and the flash of light startles the Deerling, who scatter, panic leading to chaos. The grunts jump out of the trees and face the scientists with a Liepard, a Scraggy, a Watchog, and a Trubbish. All the Deerling except one have all fled, the one remaining laying on the ground, one of its legs at an awkward angle. It must have been trampled. The Team Plasma grunts and scientists take no notice of the injured Pokémon, but the Trubbish and Scraggy snicker at its plight, and the Scraggy kicks it, making it squeal. Trubbish lays its filthy arms over the poor Pokémon, and its fur becomes covered in sludge, most likely poisoning it.

"What are you doing? We were going to study those!" one scientist says angrily. The Team Plasma grunts cross their arms and smile smugly.

"You'll do no such thing to those poor Pokémon. We, Team Plasma, will not allow you to capture these wild Pokémon in Pokéballs and study them in a cramped, stuffy lab while they could be running free through the forest!" one grunts responds. I sneak through the bushes towards the Deerling, Pardin and Zora following me.

"Trubbish, Sludge!" one grunt calls, and the disgusting Pokémon leaves its victim and launches several globs of sludge at the scientists' Pokémon. The Tranquill, Emolga, and Audino evade the attack.

"Brick Break!" the other grunt calls, and the Scraggy dashes at Audino, punching it, and sending it flying. I reach the poor Deerling, and quietly pick it up and sneak back into the bushes. The scientists and Team Plasma grunts are too busy fighting each other to notice me. I take my shirt off and wipe at the disgusting ooze covering the poor thing, trying to clean it. Its eyes are shut tight, and it whimpers. I leave it in the care of Zora and Gothita, and I stand up. The Team Plasma grunts have defeated the scientists' Pokémon, and they are standing over the scientists, threatening them with their Pokémon.

"What do you want from us?" one scientist cries, and the Team Plasma grunts chuckle.

"Should we?" one asks, and the other nods.

"We're going to make you feel the pain that you would have inflicted on those Deerling if you would have captured them," the grunt continues, and their Pokémon step forward menacingly. I step into the view of the scientists, and they see me.

"You there! Please help us!" one cries, and Pardin leaps forward, attacking the Pokémon. Soon, all four are lying on the ground, fainted. I dash forward, and grab one of the shocked Team Plasma grunts in a chokehold, punching him in the stomach. He falls to the ground, coughing.

"Wha-" the other grunt manages to choke out before I charge him too and tackle him to the ground. I slam his head into the dirt, and leave him gasping for air. I stand back up, and retreat into the trees. I pick up the Deerling, and Zora, Pardin, and the Gothita follow me back towards the city. The sun looks like it will be going down soon anyway.

"So is that why you were following me? So you could lead me to that attack?" I ask Gothita. The Pokémon looks up at me, but doesn't answer. I assume the answer is yes. Although, why would Gothita follow me all the way from Route 5 just for this? Did it know this would happen? Nothing about this makes much sense. We arrive back at the clearing, and my Pokémon gather around me and the injured Deerling.

" _Is she okay_?" Leafa asks, concerned.

"No, this Deerling is poisoned and probably has a broken leg," I answer, and Leafa sniffs, sounding like she's about to cry in sympathy. I return Shello and Venom, who are still asleep, and Leafa, Zora and Pardin climb onto my bare shoulders. Selva picks up my backpack and other belongings and she and Dissa follow me as I walk as quickly as I can back to Driftveil City without making the Deerling uncomfortable. By the time we get back, the sun is setting, dusk falling over the city, filling the streets with long shadows. I jog the final stretch to the Pokémon Center, and burst in the doors. Nurse Joy immediately reads the urgency of the situation even before I reach the counter, and calls in a wheeled cart pulled by two Audino.

"Nurse Joy, this Deerling is badly poisoned and has a broken leg," I report as the Audino wheel the cart up to me.

"Understood. Please rest the Deerling on the blanket," Nurse Joy instructs. I do as she says, and the Audino return the cart to the back behind the counter.

"Don't worry, your Deerling will be fine," Nurse Joy assures me.

"Oh, it's not mine," I say, suddenly remembering I'm shirtless. I'm holding my filthy shirt in my hand, and I couldn't possibly wear it now.

"So its wild?" Nurse Joy asks, and I nod.

"I would, however, like to receive updates on its health and visit occasionally," I clarify. Nurse Joy nods.

"Of course. So what happened?" she asks, and I tell her the story, albeit with some unimportant details left out. I tell her some Team Plasma grunts got in a fight with some seasonal scientists, and in the confusion, the Deerling was trampled by its own herd. Then it was poisoned by Team Plasma's Trubbish. Nurse Joy shakes her head.

"Poor thing," she murmurs.

"Anyway, it's getting late. Let me know if anything happens," I say, and Nurse Joy waves me off as I walk back up to my room. As soon as I open the door, something crashes into me, and my Pokémon leap out of harm's way. I, however, am crushed to the wall, and a pair of lips crashes into mine. My eyes widen, and my hands don't know what to do. Sera pulls away, hands clinging to my shirtless torso.

"Surprise," she murmurs before going back in for another kiss. I manage to push her away after a few seconds, and she whines.

"Not here," I hiss, worried someone will see. A door opens next to us, and Darren peeks his head out.

"I thought I heard you two out here," he says, grinning. Then, his smile disappears.

"Have either of you seen Tia? I looked in the room Nurse Joy said she was in, but she wasn't there." I shake my head, and Sera and my Pokémon all share the same response. Darren's mouth twists in confusion.

"I wonder where she went…" he wonders. Sera ignores him and pulls me by the hand into our room, and my Pokémon follow us.

"First of all, you need to shower," Sera says, pushing me into the wall. "You smell terrible." I shrug.

"Fair enough," I say, tossing my dirty shirt to the floor and walking to the bathroom. I take a quick shower, taking care to scrub my hands and wherever else the poison touched me. I turn off the shower, and dry myself off. As soon as I exit the bathroom, towel around my waist, Sera grabs me and pulls me onto the bed on top of her, kissing me.

"How should we make this special?" she asks huskily, forehead pressed to mine. I have an idea. I kiss her, and she moans into the kiss, wrapping her arms around me. I fumble with her pants, and eventually succeed in taking them off. I kiss down her neck, and pull her shirt off. I continue planting kisses down her body, and her back arches as I lick down her stomach. I play with the elastic on her panties, and she squirms.

"Don't worry, I don't have any STDs," Sera gasps. "I get checked regularly." Well that's good to hear. I pull her panties down, and press my mouth to her pussy, sticking my tongue inside and sucking on her clit. Sera moans, and spreads her legs wider, playing with my hair as I pleasure her. I continue eating her out, fucking her with my tongue, increasing in speed. She moans loudly, and presses my head to her pussy.

"Fuck," she gasps, and I look up at her. Her tongue lolls out of her mouth, and she stares into my eyes, her blue ones sparkling with happiness. I increase my speed and suction, and her back arches, and she breathes heavily. She moans even louder, and I feel something wet hit my face. I clean her pussy and legs, licking up her juices. My dick is rock hard, and the towel has fallen off and is laying on the bed. I wipe my face on the towel, and toss it to the floor. My Pokémon are watching us, and Pardin looks ready to join in. She starts to walk towards the bed.

"Sorry, Pardin. This is Sera's special night. Could you wait until later?" I ask, and Pardin stops, obviously frustrated but she nods and slinks back to the wall where she curls up in a ball and covers her ears.

"You don't have to…" Sera says quietly, but I put a finger on her lips.

"I want to. You deserve to celebrate a little, and tonight, you have me to yourself." I pull off her bra and it joins the other articles of clothing. Sera's eyes sparkle even more, and her lips curl up in a beautiful smile. She presses her lips to mine, and wraps her arms around me. We kiss for a few minutes, then she pulls away, smirking up at me.

"I notice that you're extremely aroused right now," she murmurs, looking down at my erection. "The condoms are in my pants pocket." I reach down onto the floor where I dropped her pants, and reach into one of the pockets. I pull out a condom, and open it. I put it on, and Sera spreads her legs, ready for me.

"Please fuck me, I don't think either of us can wait anymore," Sera grins at me. I press my dick to her entrance, making her squirm in anticipation before pulling away.

"You fucking tease," she breathes from between her teeth. I grin, and do it again, and she whines. I penetrate her, only putting the tip in, and she moans. Then I pull out, and am met with a glare, those beautiful blue eyes narrowed in frustration. I bend down and suck on one of her nipples, and bite it, making her gasp. I then shove my dick inside her with no hesitation, going balls deep. Sera moans loudly, and wraps her arms and legs around me as I thrust in and out.

"Fuck me!" she moans, and I start going faster. She moans again, and I bite her ear. I use my tongue, lips, and teeth to tease her neck, ears, and lips. I grab one of her boobs and squeeze, and pinch her nipple. I start fucking her harder, and her lips slam into mine, and our mouths compete for dominance with the savage gnashing of tongues and teeth. Sera shudders as she cums, and I pull out. I pull the condom off and climb onto her, shoving my dick in her face. She sucks on the tip, winking up at me as she grabs my hands and weaves our fingers together. I thrust into her mouth a little, and she lets me fuck her mouth. I cum, and she gasps in delight and eagerly swallows. Sera suddenly grabs my waist and flips me over, and I land on the bed with a startled "Oof!" She deepthroats my dick, and I moan, holding her hair out of the way for her. She makes lots of sloppy noises, looking into my eyes and humming happily as she sucks my dick. She grabs my free hand and squeezes it.

"Fuck," I gasp as I cum deep in her throat, and she gags, swallowing. She lifts her head off my dick, and her hands roam up my body, resting on my jaw and her head follows, and she kisses me passionately.

"I love you," she whispers. She then snuggles up to me and we cuddle for a while before I hear her breathing slow, signifying her falling asleep. I kiss her forehead and settle down and fall asleep as well.


	24. Chapter 24: Finally

**Chapter 24: Finally**

I wake up, and feel someone sucking my dick. I open my eyes, and see a pair of large red eyes staring at me through the darkness.

"Dissa?" I ask, still somewhat groggy. The pleasure stops, and the eyes blink.

" _No need to move. Just let me do this_ ," Dissa whispers, then returns to pleasuring me. I moan quietly. She's a ghost type, and doesn't have a truly physical body, so her blowjob feels very different. I cum in her mouth, and Dissa gasps.

"What was that about?" I ask, and Dissa's red eyes blink again.

" _I was curious, and wanted to formally thank you for taking care of me. It seems this is a common occurrence for you_ ," she answers.

"You don't have to have any sexual contact with me, your company and affection is enough," I say, and Dissa's red eyes float closer in the darkness.

" _I wanted to_ ," she says quietly, and her eyes disappear. I shiver, and cuddle closer to Sera's warm body. It takes me some time to fall back asleep again.

When I wake up, Sera is gone. I sit up in the bed and yawn, feeling like something is wrong, but I can't put my finger on it. I start to get up, but the bathroom door opens and Sera quietly walks out. She sees me, and jumps onto me, knocking me back onto the bed and kissing my lips eagerly.

"I wanted to greet you right when you woke up, but I had to go to the bathroom," she explains before going back in. We kiss for a few minutes, and Sera finally lets me stand up and find some clothes to put on. I throw my dirty clothes in the washing machine with Sera's clothes, and Sera hugs me from behind.

"What do you want to do today? Challenge Clay maybe?" she asks, her voice chipper.

"No. I actually wanted to visit the Deerling I brought to Nurse Joy then go train some more," I answer, sounding more like I'm getting out of spending time with her than trying to get stronger by myself. Sera's arms disappear from around my neck, and I hear her pull her shoes on.

"Let's go see that Deerling, then," she says, tossing me my shoes. I put them on and she follows me downstairs to the counter.

"May I see the Deerling?" I ask Nurse Joy.

"Absolutely. The poor dear is doing better today. We managed to get the poison effect down a bit, and her leg has been set and should be healing nicely," she replies. She leads me and Sera through the door to the back, and into a small room where Deerling is laying asleep on a table, a green blanket nestled underneath her.

"She's adorable," Sera whispers, and I nod.

"She shouldn't be here for too long. Soon she'll be trying to walk, and then we'll have to keep her from hurting herself. And when her leg is healed, we'll need to help her strengthen it again," Nurse Joy says, looking down at the Deerling sadly.

"Are you going to keep her?" Sera asks, turning to me.

"I don't know. If she wants to stay, she may. I won't force her," I reply. Nurse Joy nods in approval.

"Maybe next time you come she'll be awake, and she can thank you properly. For now, I say we just let her rest," Nurse Joy says, and she ushers us back to the lobby.

"Now what?" Sera asks.

"I want to train, but I don't want to spend too much time away from you," I say, and feel extremely awkward saying it out loud. I do mean it, to an extent.

"Go train for a few hours, I'll be here when you get back. Don't spend all day out in the woods," Sera says, her eyes glittering. I give her a quick kiss, and we walk up the stairs hand in hand. I collect my Pokémon and backpack, give Sera another kiss, and set out for the woods. We make it to the same clearing as yesterday, and I set everything up as it was. Shello and Venom sleep, Dissa, Leafa and Zora rest in the shade, and I train with Pardin and Selva. After we finish, I take my shirt off and rest on the blanket.

Pardin and Zora run off into the bushes to play, and Leafa crawls onto Venom's shell and falls asleep. I should train with them, too, somehow. Maybe have them battle each other or hit targets with long range attacks? I lay back in the shade, and notice that Dissa has disappeared. I am worried about everyone, but I know that they can protect themselves, and will be back soon. I sigh, and doze off. Suddenly, I feel something wrap around my arms and hold me fast. I jerk awake, and assess the situation. There are vines wrapped around my arms and keeping me from moving.

"Finally gave in, huh?" I ask, and Selva appears from behind the tree, her eyes full of lust. She almost rips my pants off, and attacks my dick with her mouth, sucking and licking it, and occasionally nibbling on it with her sharp little teeth. Then, she hops on, my dick going all the way inside her pussy, and she moans and sighs in satisfaction.

" _Finally_ ," she whispers huskily, closing her eyes. She rides me, her vines' grip on my arms getting weaker and weaker. I eventually wrestle my way out of them, but Selva is too occupied with pleasure and satisfying her pent-up sexual desire to notice. I grab her hips and thrust inside her. She gasps and opens her eyes, her brown irises quivering as she makes eye contact.

"You are good enough," I say. "You are beautiful. You are amazing. You are my Selva." Her eyes start to water, and she surprises me by pressing her thin lips to mine. I feel her thin tongue slither between my lips and around my tongue, taking over my mouth. I cum inside her, and she pulls away, screaming. As she screams, her body starts to glow bright white, and I gaze up at her. Her body becomes elongated, and her arms and legs shrink into her body. The crest around her neck lengthens and splits into four ends. The glow fades, and Selva's new body and weight shock me.

She's much heavier than she was, and her body is now over six feet long. Her limbs have completely disappeared, giving her the complete snake look. Her eyes have a reddish tint to them, and they stare at me seriously. Her crest gives her the appearance of a regal serpent. Her face has a dignified look to it, but that disappears as she starts wrapping her long body around me, and her pussy constricts my dick, keeping me from pulling out.

" _Again_ ," she hisses, her voice a little deeper and more dignified. I grab her body, and start thrusting into her, making her moan. I caress her longer face, and she stares down at me, eyes full of happiness. We cum together, and her scream echoes through the forest, sending flocks of startled bird Pokémon flying away. She all but collapses onto me, and I struggle under her new weight.

" _Oh, sorry_ ," she says, slithering off me, blushing. I stand up and stretch, then pull my pants up and look at Selva again. She stares at me, expression now unreadable, and she regards me with some sort of respectful manner. I wrap my arms around her neck and press my face into her scales.

"I love you," I say, and she stiffens before wrapping herself around me gently.

" _I love you too_ ," she hisses, her tongue teasing my ear. She disentangles herself from me, and I smile up at her.

"What do you think about your new body, hmm?" I ask. Selva twists her head and looks at herself.

" _So far, no complaints_ ," she replies. " _I can't see my face, though_."

"Don't worry about it. You're gorgeous," I grin, and she smiles back bashfully, blushing.

" _I see you finally did it_ ," Pardin says as she struts out of the bushes, looking smug. Zora and Dissa follow her, Zora smiling up at Selva in awe, and Dissa with her usual emotionless face.

" _I told you that you were holding yourself back, and that's why you wouldn't evolve_ ," Pardin scolds Selva, who tries to hide her elongated body behind me with little success. I stroke Selva's head, and she nestles her face into the area between my neck and head.

"Now, now, let's not have any of that. Selva is back to being herself, and much stronger now," I say, smiling as Selva's tail wraps around one of my ankles.

" _You're so big now_!" Zora gasps as she gazes up at Selva, who unwraps herself from me and holds herself with more dignity.

" _And something big helped her evolve_ ," Pardin remarks, and Dissa slaps her across the head, sending her sprawling.

" _Hey_!" Pardin mews indignantly, and I laugh. Dissa smiles, and I grin at her. She hides her face behind a wide hand as a blush creeps across her cheeks.

"I'm still tired, how does a nap sound to everyone?" I ask, and nobody objects. Selva lays down on the blanket next to Venom and Shello, and I lay with my head resting on her coils. Pardin, Zora and Dissa all snuggle up to me, and Selva wraps her body loosely around us. I smile happily, and fall asleep.

" _Hey, someone's coming_ ," Pardin hisses, and I'm instantly awake. I stand up and pull my shirt on. I notice the sun is farther in its cycle than I expected, and that I should be getting back to the Pokémon Center. Who did Pardin sense approaching? I hear footsteps tromping through the trees, and the bushes at one end of the clearing rustle, and Clay lumbers into view.

"I told ya that I'd come to ya, boy," he bellows, grinning. I sigh.

"Now, how's about we have ourselves a little battle, eh?" Clay asks, and I shrug.

"Sure," I reply.

"That kind of indecisiveness is what makes people lose, boy," Clay rumbles.

"Do we need a ref?" I ask. Clay shakes his head.

"Them refs don't do much but make sure we're following the rules of battling, but I'm a Gym Leader, and yer an honorable boy, so I don't see the need for one," he answers. I shrug.

"Alright then," I say, and Clay throws a Pokéball, bringing out Krokorok. The crocodilian crosses its arms and takes me and my Pokémon in, glaring at us smugly.

"This one's on you, Dissa," I say, knowing exactly what strategy he'll implement. Clay grins as Dissa takes her place in front of me.

"Gonna Disable my Swagger, eh?" he chuckles. "What happens if I don't use Swagger? Krokorok, Crunch!" Krokorok runs at Dissa, ready to bite down on her for a super-effective attack. Dissa evades by floating to the side. She uses Will-O-Wisp, burning Krokorok as it runs past her.

"Hex," I call, and Dissa forms a purple sphere in her palms and launches it at Krokorok, which connects, sending Krokorok stumbling.

"That Hex packs a punch, boy, but Krokorok is a Dark type, so your Ghost type attacks won't do very much," Clay boasts.

"Krokorok, Torment!" Krokorok slams its fists together, and roars at Dissa, who flinches. She tries to use Hex, but she can't.

"Torment makes it so yer Pokémon can't use the same attacks twice in a row!" Clay bellows. I grit my teeth. Dissa glares at Krokorok, and raises her arms, letting out a ghastly shriek. A gust of purple-tinged wind blows around her, then straight at Krokorok, blowing leaves with it. The wind hits Krokorok, and Dissa shrieks again, and I shiver. Krokorok struggles against the wind, but falls over. The wind disappears, and Krokorok stands up shakily.

"Ominous Wind, eh?" Clay asks. "Don't matter. Krokorok, Bulldoze!" Krokorok stomps on the ground, and the earth rises slightly, and almost hits Dissa before she floats upwards.

"Crunch!" Krokorok flies at Dissa and bites her, slamming her to the ground. Dissa lashes out with Hex, and Krokorok crumples to the ground, fainted. Dissa frees herself from beneath Krokorok's body, and grins at me.

"Damn, yer good, boy," Clay grumbles as he returns Krokorok. He throws another Pokéball, and Palpitoad appears. I should get this over with quickly.

"Dissa, switch with Selva!" I call, and Dissa obeys, but looks disappointed. Selva slithers onto the field, glaring at Palpitoad, who, despite being at a type disadvantage, looks very smug.

"Don't worry, you did wonderfully," I say, stroking Dissa's head, "I just wanted to give Selva a chance." Dissa gives me a small smile, blushes again, and hides behind Venom. I smile and turn my attention back to the battle.

"Growth!" I call, and Selva raises her attacking stats.

"Muddy Water!" Clay yells, and Palpitoad summons a wave of muddy water, and it rushes towards Selva through the cracks in the earth. Selva saves herself from getting wet by climbing onto one piece of earth jutting from the ground. The attack rushes by harmlessly, but Bulldoze has created a bowl around the battlefield, and now the bowl is flooded with bits of earth sticking out of it. Palpitoad dives into the water.

"Bubblebeam!" Clay calls, and Palpitoad pops up behind Selva, and shoots a string of bubbles at her, and it connects, doing little. Selva shrugs it off, and Palpitoad sinks beneath the water again. My Pokémon and I search through the murky water for any sign of the Pokémon, but to no avail.

"Keep using Bubblebeam!" Clay orders, and Palpitoad pops up again, hits Selva with the attack, and submerges again. It does this multiple times, emerging in a different spot each time, then disappearing before Selva can counterattack. Selva then reaches her vines into the water, and appears to feel for movement. Her sharp eyes scour the water, and she appears to feel something. Her vine snaps around something, and lifts Palpitoad from the water, the toad Pokémon screaming in surprise. Selva raises her tail, and the leaves on the end lengthen and glow green. She draws Palpitoad closer to her, and lashes her tail across its body, knocking it out. She drops it on an island, and Clay returns it.

"Clever girl," Clay compliments, and throws out Excadrill. The mole Pokémon lands on an island, and the two Pokémon stare each other down.

"Hone Claws!" Clay orders, and Excadrill sharpens its claws on the stone, raising its attack and accuracy.

"Growth!" I call, and Selva raises her attacking stats again.

"Slash!" Clay yells, and Excadrill lunges at Selva, who coils her body like a spring, her tail leaves glowing and sharpening again, and leaps to meet Excadrill. The two attacks collide in midair, causing rushing winds around the two Pokémon. Both are thrown back, and land on islands.

"Bulldoze!" Clay roars, and Excadrill stomps on the ground, unbalancing the battlefield. Some pieces of earth rise and others fall, and the water drains into the massive cracks that appear. Selva coils around a tall pillar of earth, and glares down at Excadrill, who grins smugly.

"Rock Slide!" Clay orders, and a shower of boulders rains over Selva, nearly burying her. She manages to slither out of the pile, and springs at Excadrill with her tail poised to attack. Excadrill evades her attack, and Clay orders it to use Slash, and it slashes at Selva as she flies by, her tail nicking Excadrill's shoulder.

"Hone Claws!"

"Growth!" Our Pokémon raise their stats, and Selva leaps at Excadrill again, but it dodges again.

"Bulldoze!" Excadrill upsets the earth again, some stone pillars toppling over, more bits of earth rip free of the ground, and others grow bigger still. Selva barely manages to evade all the chaos.

"Slash!" Excadrill leaps at Selva, and slashes across her body, sending her sprawling. Selva grits her teeth as she wraps her vines around loose boulders, and flings them at Excadrill, and manages to hit it once. However, it recovers quickly, and Slashes her again. Selva falls to the ground, fainted. I run up to her, and stroke her cheek.

"Don't worry, girl. You did great," I whisper, and return her to her Pokéball.

"Dissa, let's go," I order, and Dissa floats eagerly onto the battlefield. She raises her arms, and shrieks, using Ominous Wind. The wind whips through the battlefield, making Excadrill slide back a little. She takes this opportunity to use Will-O-Wisp, then knocks Excadrill backwards with Hex.

"Rock Slide!" Clay bellows, and boulders rain down on Dissa, and she gets buried. I gasp, and climb onto the pile, and start digging through it. I see Dissa float shakily from the pile, then collapse onto the ground.

"Shit," I mutter. "You did great," I say, and return her to her Pokéball. This Excadrill is strong.

"Yer lady mentioned that she can never defeat you," Clay calls from across the field. "I'm sad to say that I don't see how you beat her every time, if you can't even beat my little Excadrill." I grin, and Pardin stalks onto the field.

"This one's yours, Pardin," I growl, and she nods, hissing at the mole.

"Slash!" Clay yells, and Excadrill springs at Pardin. When it gets close, Pardin uses Fake Out, and Excadrill flinches, its attack halted. She then lashes out with Assurance, sending Excadrill skidding across the ground. Excadrill huffs as it stands up, and it burrows into the ground. Pardin sniffs the air, and leaps aside just as Excadrill bursts from the ground beneath her. She uses Assist, and hits Excadrilll with Venom's Screech. Excadrill shudders, its defense lowered. Pardin uses Hone Claws, and uses Pursuit, appearing behind Excadrill and kicking it. Excadrill barely reacts, instead trying to Slash her again, but she disappears and reappears on top of a stone pillar.

"Rock Slide!" Clay yells, and Excadrill summons yet another shower of stones, but Pardin evades each one, her small and lithe body dodging around the boulders as they join the piles of the other rocks on the field. Clay and I have each climbed on top of a rock to get a better view, and Pardin and Excadrill leap at each other and evade each other's attacks, neither really getting many good hits in. Eventually, both look exhausted; they're evenly matched.

"Slash!" Clay bellows.

"Assurance!" I yell, and the two Pokémon leap at each other again, and connect in midair. Due to the wind their collision created, I can't see what happened. I cover my face as wind whips through the clearing, billowing through my hair and shirt. When the dust and wind clears, I can see that Pardin and Excadrill standing there, facing away from each other. I see the pained expression on Excadrill's face, and it falls to the ground. Pardin falls to her knees, but stands up shakily, and turns to me, grinning. I cheer loudly, and run to her. I hoist her up and spin around, laughing with her in my arms. I press her to my chest, and she purrs loudly, my body vibrating with her happiness.

"That was amazing!" Clay roars, returning Excadrill and stomping over to me. He grins down at me, and claps a hand on my shoulder.

"Nobody has ever given me a battle that intense in a long time!" he declares, and grabs one of my hands. He slaps the Quake Badge into my palm, a small piece of metal that looks like two tectonic plates shifting.

"I declare, I have never seen the like of yer Pokémon before!" Clay bellows, looking at Pardin in admiration. "Never have I seen such an intense battle between forces of nature like this!" I grin and Pardin purrs.

"Great job!" I hear Sera yell, and my body freezes. Shit. I look at the sun to see that it's about to set. I was out here for way too long, and I kept Sera waiting. I turn to greet her, and I notice the genuine look of pride and excitement on her face. She runs up to me and embraces me, almost crushing Pardin between our bodies.

"I got wet just watching," she murmurs into my ear. She pets Pardin's ears and grins at her.

"You did great, little Pardin!" she coos, and Pardin sticks her tongue out.

"Wait up!" I hear Darren call, and he runs up, breathing heavily.

"That was so cool!" he gasps, doubling over. "I'm so glad I was recording! I just wish I could have gotten closer and gotten different angles!"

"Let's say we go to the Pokémon Center, hey?" Clay asks, and we agree. I collect my Pokémon and belongings, and Clay leads the way back to the city.

"How did you find me anyway?" I ask Clay as we walk.

"Yer lady friend told me where ya were," he answers. I turn to Sera.

"And how did you know where I was?" I ask, and she smirks.

"I followed you," she giggles. I sigh. We arrive at the city and walk to the Pokémon Center. Clay and I heal our Pokémon, and Darren and Sera bicker about nothing of importance. Clay suddenly gets a phone call, and he answers it.

"Hello? Yes. Yeah. Oh? Okay then," he says, answering the voice on the other line. He takes his phone away from his ear and looks at us.

"Do any of you have a friend named Chuck?" he asks, and Sera and I nod.

"Well apparently he's in Nimbasa City and Elesa wants you to pick him up. He said he wanted to group up with you guys, and he's sick of travelling alone." I sigh, and Sera rolls her eyes.

"Sometimes I worry about him," Sera mutters.

"Go easy on him, he's not cut out for the things we are," I say. Sera shrugs.

"We'll go pick him up tomorrow," I say, and Clay nods.

"Sounds good," Clay says, and repeats what I say into the phone. He says goodbye to whom I assume is Elesa, bids us adieu, and leaves the Pokémon Center. I send Sera and Darren upstairs, and I take my Pokémon to visit Deerling. When I arrive in her room, she's awake, but she cowers when I walk up to her. I don't touch her, but Pardin and Zora go up to her and nudge her. Deerling shudders; she must be terrified. I say some gentle words to her and make my way upstairs. I walk into my room, and Sera is waiting for me on the bed, wearing nothing but a towel over herself.

"Hello, there, sexy," she purrs as she stands up, covering herself with the towel.

"Would you like to shower with me?" she asks, pressing her body to mine. She lets me get my Pokémon settled; I let out Venom, Dissa and Selva, set down Leafa and Shello, and Pardin and Zora settle down in the corner, snuggling against Selva's coils. I take off my shoes and drop my backpack by the bed. Sera then leads me by the hand into the bathroom, and turns on the shower. She pulls my shirt off, lets me take the rest of my clothes off, and we step into the warm water of the shower. We clean ourselves; I'm especially dirty from training and battling Clay today. Sera then has me sit against one side of the shower, and she cuddles up to me as the water rains down on us.

"I'm glad Selva finally decided to fuck you," Sera says, and I stiffen. She looks up at me, and pokes my nose.

"I was watching the _whole_ time," she teases, her fingers dancing down my chest. "I almost started touching myself." Sera giggles. She then reaches up and kisses me on the lips, and drinks in my essence eagerly.

"I love you," she murmurs before going back in.

"I love you, too," I reply, and Sera stops.

"No, don't lie to me," she says, staring into my eyes, her blue irises shuddering, threatening to spill tears.

"I know you're only with me to make me happy. And as happy as it makes me to have you so active in my life, I can't stand knowing that you don't love me back." I can't tell if there are tears on her face or drops of water from the shower. Just how much did I underestimate her?

"If you aren't happy with me, just tell me, and I'll understand," Sera says, shifting her position so that our bodies are no longer touching. She sits against the wall, facing me, covering her body, hiding from me.

"If you want to end this, tell me," Sera says, sounding like she's crying. I sigh. I do enjoy having her around, to an extent of course. She's been trying really hard to make me happy. And as much as I don't want to admit it, having a human to take care of and make happy gave me a sense of satisfaction and made me, maybe a little, happy.

"I don't want to end this," I say slowly, trying to choose my words carefully. "I don't love you, it's true, but I don't want to end it." Sera flinches as if struck at my words.

"I want to try. I want to try us. We've only been together a few days, it would make sense to try a little longer before deciding that it won't work." Sera blinks, her eyes starting to fill with hope. She slowly crawls over to me, and tentatively touches my cheek.

"And you can touch me as much as you want. Just don't do anything crazy in public," I add, and Sera slides into my lap, her body folding with mine almost perfectly. She wraps her arms around me, and I return the gesture.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm sorry for being a stupid, slutty girl."

"And I'm sorry for underestimating your ability to feel. I dehumanized you," I confess. "You made stupid decisions, such as sleeping around, but you were never stupid yourself. You've surprised me these last few days. And I feel terrible for everything I've ever thought about you."

"I forgive you. I was never good at showing my true feelings. I thought being happy and extroverted was the only way to go. I never saw the benefits of showing myself to someone until I met you." I hold her for a long time, and she cries into my shoulder. I feel better now. I've redeemed myself somewhat, and I'm continuing to make her happy. I do want to feel the same way for her, I just don't yet. She's a good person. She works hard, she pours her heart out to the ones she feels she can trust, she feels so much, and probably too much. I want to protect her. I want to make her happy. Sera sighs.

"We should probably get out before we get too wrinkly," she says with a shaky laugh. I let her out of my grip, and she gets out of the shower. I follow her, and we dry ourselves off. We put on clean clothes, and notice my Pokémon. Shello is laying on the bed next to the pillow, Venom is asleep right next to the bed, Selva has laid her body around and under the bed, her head resting next to the pillow opposite Shello, and Leafa is sleeping against Selva's head. Zora and Pardin are still curled in the corner, and Dissa is floating near the door, her red eyes watching us. I pick up Zora and Sera picks up Pardin, both of us gently carrying them to the bed. We lay down, and hold their warm furry bodies close as we cuddle. I wave for Dissa to join us, and she lets her body rest on the bed next to me, her arm laying across my stomach. Sera sighs happily, and we fall asleep.


End file.
